Without You
by riemayu
Summary: (Begins mid-New Moon)Bella has finally admitted her feelings for Jacob despite her fears of past events repeating themselves. After acting on those feelings, Bella leaves Forks to protect those she loves from getting hurt by Victoria, only to realize almost 2 years later that the safest place for her & her son would've been with Jacob, who believes she left him for Edward. J/B
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N**_

 _ **Welcome weary traveler! I hope you find rest here while reading my latest mind escape. I'm eager to bring this newest adventure to life for you. This starts half way through New Moon at the movie theatre and then from then on out, the storyline doesn't follow the plot of New Moon, although certain events may still occur. Because of all this, Bella is not the same. I think that'll be pretty obvious as you start reading. I'm hoping that it'll be refreshing from the more common Jacob/Bella fics that are out there.**_

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 ** _Without You_**

 _ **Disclaimer: All characters(unless original) are owned by Stephenie Meyer. Portions of dialogue and narrative within the first chapter also belong to Meyer.**_

"What a marshmallow! You should hold out for someone with a stronger stomach. Someone who laughs at the gore that makes weaker men vomit."

"I'll keep my eyes open for someone like that."

Jacob and Bella were alone in the hallway. Both theatres were halfway through the movie and it was deserted - quiet enough for them to hear the popcorn popping at the concession counter in the lobby.

Jacob sat down on the velveteen-upholstered bench against the wall and patted the space beside him.

"He sounded like he was going to be in there for a while," he said, stretching his long legs out in front of him as he settled in to wait.

Bella joined him with a sigh. Jacob looked like he was thinking about blurring more lines. Sure enough, as soon as Bella sat down, he shifted over to put his arm around her shoulder.

"Jake," she protested, leaning away. He dropped his arm, not looking bothered at all by the minor rejection. Jake reached out and took her hand firmly, wrapping his other hand around her wrist when she tried to pull away again. Bella was surprised to see the sudden confidence within him.

"Now, hold on just a minute, Bella," he said in a calm voice. "Tell me something."

Bella grimaced, not wanting to do this. Not just now, but not ever. To her, there seemed to be nothing left in her life that was more important than Jacob Black. To put her heart back on the line between friendship and something more wasn't something that Bella ever intended to do again. To be hurt once, was shame on them; second time, shame on her.

"What?" Bella muttered sourly.

"You like me, right?"

Bella considered briefly how she should answer.

"You know I do."

"Better than that joker puking his gutts out in there?" Jacob gestured to the bathroom door.

"Yes," she sighed, feeling her heart rate pick up, instinctively knowing where he was leading this conversation.

"Better than the girls too," she added, with a chuckle in an attempt to steer him elsewhere. Jacob wasn't going to let this drop.

"But, is that all?"

Bella paused, not knowing how she should answer. She could lie, hurt his feelings but she could also express what she had been keeping to herself for weeks now - The truth. She was falling in love with him. And that scared the crap out of her.

Her heart beat pounded in her ears. She found herself having to constantly remind herself that she had fallen in love with Edward, and he had hurt her. As much as she wanted to keep her distance from Jacob to prevent her heart from going through that trauma again, she needed him; no, she wanted him in every possible way. It was a frustrating contradiction that Bella's heart and mind feuded over. Unfortunately, her mind won out every time Jacob made an innocent advance towards her.

Her mind went back to sitting in the movie theatre; Mike on one side and Jacob on the other, both with their hands open to her. While she didn't pay Mike's hand any attention, Jacob's seemed to taunt her, tease her about possibilities of opening her heart fully to him could mean.

She knew that Jacob cared a lot for her; she could see it in his eyes. She'd seen it for a while now. She'd also seen it in Edward's eyes. And if someone who claimed to love her so much could hurt her, Bella wasn't about to put herself in that position once again.

Slowly, Jacob moved in closer. She could feel his breath on her face. He met her eyes, looking for non-verbal permission to move even closer to her.

Bella couldn't help but look to his mouth, his lips seeming to wait for her. She had never given pause to look at them and for the first time, she had to admit that she woudn't mind finding out how they'd feel against her own.

Would they be as soft as they look? Would he taste as sweet as he smelled? How warm would they be?

Bella felt Jacob's nose brush up against her own, and she could almost taste him. As though her mind suddenly reconnected to her body, she turned her head. Jacob rested his forehead against the side of her head and sighed aloud.

"Jake, please don't do this."

"I know you want to," he whispered in her ear.

"But I can't."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm..."

Bella trailed off, not wanting to admit her fears aloud. Jacob leaned back to look at her face.

"You're, what?"

When Mike suddenly appeared coming out of the men's room, his face pale and sweaty, Bella quickly stood up and came to his side, the prior seconds with Jacob now just a fleeting memory. Jacob sat in shock at the sudden change in mood and he clenched his fist, watching Bella assist Mike to walk towards him.

"If you didn't feel well, why didn't you say something?" Bella asked, her arm around his waist.

"I was hoping it would pass," Mike said, swallowing for a second before he nodded that he was okay.

Bella looked briefly to Jacob as he stood up from the bench with a sigh.

"Let's go home then," Bella suggested.

"Movie too much for you?" Jacob asked Mike bitterly.

"I actually didn't see much of it," Mike snapped with a biting glare. "I wasn't feeling well before the movie."

"Regardless," Bella said, turning to Jacob to glare at him for his heartless comment towards Mike, "we should get him home."

While Bella turned to get Mike out of the cinema, Jacob paused.

Knowing the long ride ahead of them back to Forks, Jacob quickly went up to the girl working the concession stand, and asked for an empty popcorn bucket. Taking one look at Mike, she shoved not just one, but two at Jacob and insisted that they get Mike out of there.

While Bella helped get Mike into the backseat of the Rabbit, Jacob thrust the popcorn bucket at the him, begging Mike to use it. Rolling down the windows for some fresh air, Jacob turned on the car and headed towards Forks.

Every so often he'd glance back at Mike and wince whenever he heard him puke into the bucket. Jacob just praying that he didn't mess up his car. Jacob looked over at Bella, seeing her with her arms wrapped around her legs, keeping herself warm while the cool, fresh air blew into the car. She pulled up the sides of her coat around her neck and glanced over at him when she caught him staring. Jacob quickly looked back out the windshield.

She hadn't said a word to Jacob for the entire ride back to Forks. Even when they quickly dropped Mike off at his house with the assurance that they'll bring his Suburban over from her place she didn't even pay Jacob any attention.

As Jacob watched Bella walk over to his car after giving the keys to the Suburban to Mrs. Newton at their door, he made a decision then and there. He was going to get her talk about what was going on between them, whether she wanted to or not. Jacob knew her well; she'd try to avoid him or try to make an escape, so he took her to the one place where she'd have no where to go. It didn't take Bella long to realize that he wasn't heading towards her house, but they were going towards La Push.

"Where are we going?"

It was the first thing she had said to him and was said in such an accusatory tone, that Jacob couldn't help but clench his fingers around the steering wheel and bite his tongue to prevent a smart remark to come back at her.

"Jacob, take me home," she demanded.

"No," he said, scowling. "Not until you talk to me."

"We ARE talking!"

Her outburst caught Jacob momentarily by surprise. He had never heard her yell at him before, or anyone for that matter. For so long, he had been used to her melancholy and even placid personality that to hear her raise her voice was unusual. Still, he couldn't help but match her frustration with anger.

"No, we are shouting!"

Jacob made a quick turn, the car tires squealing as they slid on the asphalt.

"Jacob! You're going to get us both killed!"

Jacob snorted bitterly at her lack of faith in his driving skills.

The Rabbit continued down a dirt road before he finally brought the car to a stop in a small clearing. Satisfied with himself, Jacob turned off the ignition and sighed, silence and darkness flooding the inside of the car.

Jacob let out a deep breath before turning on a single light above the rear-view mirro. He could almost hear Bella silently fuming beside him.

"We need to talk," Jacob said, his tone softer than it had been while they were driving along.

Bella shrugged, looking straight ahead out the windshield. "There's nothing to talk about. Take me home."

"Not until we talk about what almost happened back in Port Angeles," Jacob said, turning in his seat. "Admit it - You were going to kiss me."

Bella shook her head and chuckled incredulously. "No, I wasn't."

"Yes, you were. Why are you denying it?!"

With a frustrated sigh, Bella took off her seatbelt and opened the door to the Rabbit, slamming it behind her before she made her way down the worn foot path.

Leave it to Jacob to know exactly how to force her into a corner. But she was determined to either fight back or crawl her way out of it. She was no longer the meek, quiet and broken girl that was found crying in the woods a few months ago. Jacob's friendship had healed that wound in her chest and reminded her that she was a strong and confident woman with people who cared about her. At the same time, Jacob had weaved his way into her heart; a place that Bella had thought she had locked up tight following her breakup with Edward. But he ultimately broke in and changed her. As much as she had fallen in love with him, there was no way that she would have this discussion with Jacob. He knew her well and would see the truth about how she felt so clearly on her face when she was would insist that she wanted them to remain as friends. Bella chastised herself, knowing that she shouldn't have accidentally led him on so many times, especially with that almost-kiss. Yet in the same conflicted thought, Bella knew that she would never be satisfied as being only friends with Jacob.

In the darkness, she could barely tell where she was going, but she make out the path in front of her. Past the tree line, the sound of the surf crashing against the rocks along the coastline roared up at her. Bella knew she wasn't far from the beach. Behind her, she suddenly heard Jacob calling her name and a flashlight cutting within the darkness. She walked a little further and felt the cold wind blowing up from the ocean against her face as she realized she was standing on the top of the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Realizing that she was suddenly standing between two precipices - the cliff and Jacob - she paused, not certain which way was the safer option.

"Bella, will you just stop for a minute?" He said, shining the light at her. "I want to talk to you."

Bella sighed and nodded.

"Then, talk."

Jacob let out a frustrated breath and looked at the ground between them.

"I'm just going to put this out there cause it looks like there's no other way to do it," he mumbled anxiously before he looked at her. "I like you...no, it's more than just that. I'm pretty sure that I've fallen in love with you, Bella." He paused and walked up to her, stopping short to give Bella space but close enough to be able to hear her over the loud surf below. "And I know that deep down, you feel something for me."

Bella let out a breath, silently debating whether she should confirm his suspicions or hurt him with a lie. Although that lie would protect her heart from possibly being broken again, she just couldn't do that to Jacob.

"Maybe I do feel something for you. But it doesn't matter. We can't be more than friends."

Jacob took two big steps towards her, taking her hands and instantly warming them within his own. He was happy to have just hear her admit what she had been feeling.

"Why? Why can't we be together? Is it because I'm Quileute? Is that it? I know some of the old folks around here frown on mixed relationships, but I don't give a damn about what people would think of us being together."

Bella shook her head and closed her eyes. Inwardly, she was shocked that he even brought his heritage up as a reason behind them unable being together, as it was something that never occured to her.

"No, no! It has nothing to do with that."

"Then what is it?"

Bella took a deep breath and looked out at the ocean waves below.

"I'm scared."

"Scared?"

Bella let out an exasperated breath, frustrated that Jacob wasn't getting what she was admitting to him.

"Jake, I'm scared that I've fallen in love with you," she told him.

It took a few seconds for it to sink into Jacob's head.

"That's why you've been pushing me away?" he concluded softly, watching her face before confusion etched his own. "You're afraid of me?"

Bella quickly shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Then what is it? Help me understand."

Bella swallowed.

"When...he...Edward left," she began, no longer feeling that pain associated with saying his name that had been a constant companion of hers for months, "it felt like a hole had been punched in my chest. I couldn't breath, or think of anything except for the loss that I felt. Then you, somehow you put me back together and at first I craved your companionship because it seemed to keep the pain away. I admit that I was selfishly using you. But as time went on, I realized that pain was no longer there and I was just wanting to be with you because deep down, I felt something for you. And I don't want to go through that pain again of losing someone. I don't want to lose your friendship and to know that I've fallen in love with you scares the shit out of me."

Jacob smiled, reaching forward to put his hand on Bella's cheek.

"You wont ever lose me," he assured her. "I would never hurt you like that, Bella. I promise you." He paused for a second. "I love you."

With a deep breath, a smile came to Bella's face. She believed him when he said that he loved her. She could see it on his face. The wind blew up from the surf and came up the cliff, before blowing against Bella's skin. She wasn't certain if it was the cold or Jacob's hand on her cheek that caused goosebumps to rise on her flesh.

"I love you, Jake," she said softly, the words falling easily from her lips.

Jacob smirked as he slowly moved closer to her, looking between her eyes and her lips. He slid his hand behind her neck before leaning in. Just as he was about to kiss her, Jacob paused, hearing her light gasps of anticipation of that first touch.

"Don't be afraid," Jacob whispered at the last possible second, his lips nearly brushing her own as he spoke.

 ** _...to be continued...please review_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N -**_ _ **some mature content ahead for this chapter. Next chapter is nearly complete. Leave me some reviews and I'll post it ASAP. ;)**_

 _ **Also, I'm hoping to make chapters of about this length, and post more often. It seems to be easier than doing longer ones every week or two.**_

 _ **Thank you for my first reviews. Glad you're enjoying it so far and the direction I'm heading. Thank you for following and for adding this to your favourites as well.**_

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To his surprise, it was Bella who closed the space between them. She couldn't wait any longer, having already thrown caution to the wind and finally going with what her heart had been telling her the whole time; Jacob was safe.

Still, that first kiss was slow, as though they were making their way out onto a frozen lake; neither wanting to go too fast. Bella gasped against Jacob's mouth. His lips were soft as velvet, sweet and warm, like icing on a cake; polar opposite to what she had experienced with Edward.

Wanting more, Bella reached up around Jacob's neck, threading her fingers into his long hair on the back of his head. She clenched her fingers, gripping his hair as she tugged him closer.

Jacob intended for just a few chaste kisses on her lips but suddenly it turned into something more; something passionate, full of longing, need and desire. A deep growl erupted from Jacob's throat while he kissed her harder than when his lips first touched hers. While the sound surprised Bella and she opened her eyes momentarily, Jacob intensified the kiss, sweeping his tongue against her lips, causing her to ignore it. Bella moaned, her eyes closing while she enjoyed the sensation before she felt his teeth tug her bottom lip. Jacob ran his fingers down her side and rested them on her hips, the heat of his palms warming through the fabric to her skin.

Feeling a sudden intense heat pour out of him, Jacob momentarily broke the kiss, his darkened eyes never leaving her eyes as he pulled his shirt over his head, throwing it to the ground. The moment the shirt cleared his head, Bella quickly brought her lips back to his, running her hands down his bare chest and around to his back, her hands instantly becoming warmer against his skin. Feeling overheated herself, she tugged her coat off of one arm, Jacob helping her with the other. He ran his hands down her arms and over the back of her white blouse, his fingers digging into her skin through the thin fabric.

Strong waves of desire ran through him and he could sense the same from Bella just as the first few drops of rain fell down before the sky opened up over them. Rain poured down, drenching them almost instantaneous. Bella shrieked, breaking the kiss before Jacob told her to run to the car. He picked up his shirt and Bella's coat from the ground and rushed behind her. He could hear Bella's laughter as she ran ahead of him over the distant rumbling of thunder. While Bella darted to the passenger side, Jacob opened the driver's side door and quickly jumped in, slamming the door behind him.

"Where did all that rain suddenly come from?!" She exclaimed, out of breath while smiling and chuckling over the noise of the rain pouring down hard on the roof of the small VW.

Jacob looked bitterly out the window while the rain trailed down it, attempting to figure out when the storm cloud was passing by them. His answer came with a loud crack of thunder as the wind began to pick up. It seemed that the weather was mirroring the emotions that were still coursing within Jacob. He was frustrated that the rain had put an abrupt end to his evening with her. She had admitted that she was in love with him before she kissed him. And now, they were soaked to the skin and he ultimately had to bring her home.

"I don't know, but I'm starting to wonder if some higher power out there is trying to ruin everything," he said, bitterly.

Bella laughed at his sour expression. "Jake, don't worry about it. Nothing was ruined. That was fun."

Jacob snorted.

"You and I have a very different view on what you call fun."

"I'm not talking about the rain, Jake," she said, with a smile.

He looked over at her, his mouth slightly agape in shock over what she was implying. Until tonight, he never knew Bella to be so forward and open. He was used to seeing her guarded and emotionally closed-off. It was like he was fully seeing a new side of her that he had only seen glimpses of every so often when they'd be working in his garage. Those barriers were finally down.

Suddenly noticing her shivering with her arms wrapped around herself, Jacob reached into his pocket, pulled out the keys and turned on the car's ignition before turning the heat on full blast. He angled the vents towards Bella, while she reached forward over them with her hands to welcome the warmth.

Bella glanced over at Jacob, sitting in the driver's seat just as soaked and shirtless. For the first time, she really looked at him; the water dripping off his black hair, hitting his russet abs before sliding to the waistline of his pants and suddenly disappearing as it soaked in. Bella remembered touching that chest and those abs just a few short minutes ago. Suddenly, it felt like it had all been a dream; her telling Jacob the truth about how she felt, Jacob's lips on hers, her hands on his skin, the feelings and desires that he somehow pulled out from within her... She wanted nothing more than to experience that all over again.

Clearing her throat and the thoughts from her head, she rubbed her hands together in front of the vents.

"Aren't you cold?"

Jacob pulled his wet hair forward from behind his back and laid it over his shoulder. "No. Surprisingly, I'm quite warm."

"Must be all that hot Quileute blood," Bella teased with a smirk, cupping her hands together around her mouth before blowing on them.

There it was again - her subtle flirting. If she didn't mean it with her words, the look in her eyes when Jacob caught her staring momentarily at his bare chest was more than enough to know that she was blatantly flirting with him.

Feeling the heat within him rise a little more knowing that Bella was checking him out, he reached forward and took her hands within his own.

"Here, let me help."

Her hands were quite cold and he sucked in a breath at the temperature difference compared to his own skin.

"God, Bella, you're freezing."

Jacob glanced in the backseat, seeing only his wet shirt and Bella's soaked coat on the ground. He knew that he should have listened to his Dad when he suggested putting a blanket as part of an emergency kit in the car.

"I don't think I have anything dry here that you can use to warm up or dry off. I'll bring you home as soon as the rain eases up. I can barely see ten feet ahead of us in this rain." He brought his folded hands over Bella's to his mouth and blew to warm up her fingers inside.

The thunder rumbled again as a flash of lighting lit up the sky and forest around them. The rain continued to pour, the pounding of the drops echoing loud inside the car.

"It's okay, Jake," Bella told him, softly. "I really don't mind being stuck here with you a little longer."

Jacob smiled, releasing her hands before brushing Bella's wet hair away from her face.

"You're so beautiful," he said softly, his thumb grazing against her cheek. Bella reached up to her face and took his hand within her own and turned her face slightly into his palm.

To Jacob's surprise, she kissed his palm.

"Thank you for not giving up on me when I pushed you away," she told him softly.

Jacob's eyes were on her mouth as she spoke, his hand having felt her lips move with her words. Slowly, his thumb grazed along her mouth. As he moved back it back, Bella gently kissed the pad of his thumb as it passed over her lips. He felt her breath tremble and this time he wasn't certain if it was from the cold. Jacob looked into her brown eyes, before he slid his hand around to the back of her neck and leaned forward.

Bella kicked off her wet shoes before she shifted in her seat and sat up on her knees. She met his lips across the small centre console and gear shift. Once again, the kiss started off slow and soft. Bella reached around Jacob's neck to the back of his head and weaved her fingers into his hair, pulling slightly while she ran her other hand down his chest. Jacob moaned at the feeling of her touching him. It elicited an excitement within him. Jacob's fingers had found a small portion of Bella's skin around her waist that had been exposed as she reached up around Jacob's neck. Slowly, he splayed his hands over her back, his hands seeming to move higher and higher towards the back of her bra, to the point where Bella suddenly broke the kiss and sat back on her knees on the passenger seat.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Jacob said sitting back, quickly putting up his hands in surrender, knowing exactly what had caused Bella to stop. "I got away with myself. I wont do it again Bells, I promise."

He suddenly paused, not believing what he was seeing.

While he was already berating himself for going too far, Jacob feared and fully expected for her to turn away from him and close herself off. Instead, Jacob's eyes widened to see Bella undoing the buttons on her blouse. She was already halfway down her shirt when Jacob choked out his words.

"B...Bella, what are you doing?"

"I'm taking this cold, wet thing off of me."

"Are you sure you...uh...want to do that here?"

Bella paused and looked at Jacob. "Jake, we're not in public. It's just you and I. And I trust you."

"Yeah, well, I really don't know if I could trust myself if you're sitting in front of me with just a bra on," Jacob mumbled, as he watched Bella pull her arms out of her soaked shirt and lay it over the vents in front of her.

As much as he tried to avert his eyes from her bra, he couldn't help but notice the minute details of what he had seen in the darkness of the car - the white satin, the light pink edging going along the straps and the small white bow that sat low between the cups, both effectively covering each breast. The colour nearly blended in with her milky, white skin and Jacob found that he liked it.

A little too much, he soon realized as he felt the beginnings of an erection.

Pinching his eyes shut, Jacob turned his head towards the windshield, forcing himself to not become aroused from such a mental image. Frustrated, Jacob kept his hands on the steering wheel and clenched tightly.

Despite it not being anything sexual to her, his teenage mind couldn't help but twist it in that direction. He felt a deeper need, a primal desire began to rise in him and as foreign as it was, it felt right but it still frightened him. His muscles trembled from trying to fight it.

"Jake?"

"Hmm?" He said, not looking at her.

"Are you okay? You're shaking."

"I'm peachy," was his quick, sarcastic reply as he took deep breaths, a growl echoing each one as he tried to control that animal that threatened to escape.

What made it relax was Bella's sudden touch on his shoulder. It wasn't just her touch, but the fact that she was running her hand along his bicep, almost comfortingly. Jacob could feel the monster calm down and almost purr in his throat.

"What's wrong?"

Jacob lowered his head, confused. For a few seconds, he felt as though he was about to crawl out of his skin. His muscles couldn't help but tremble painfully under his skin but it seemed to stop the moment Bella touched him.

"I don't know. I feel a bit strange. I need..."

Bella leaned forward, brushing her fingers along his cheek.

"You can tell me."

Jacob looked at her, his eyes dark and mouth open as he breathed.

"Kiss me," he whispered, his voice sounding desperate yet there was a demand laced thickly behind it.

Bella leaned forward on her knees, taking Jacob's face between her palms before she brought her mouth down on his. Jacob kissed her, and moaned feeling her tongue sweep across his mouth as she became more aggressive. Slowly, Bella moved and kissed down his jaw and then along his neck. Jacob closed his eyes, feeling her tongue brush against his skin and he tipped his head to the side, enjoying the sensation. When he felt her teeth pull at his earlobe, he growled before turning off the ignition, the sound of the pouring rain filling the car once again. Reaching down to the seat lever beside him, Jacob slid the driver seat as far back as he could. With a gesture from his head, Bella climbed over the gear shift and centre console before carefully straddling her knees over Jacob's lap.

That's when she felt it. As much she shouldn't be surprised to be feeling his erection pressing at her core while they were in this position, she had no idea that he was that aroused. He was extremely hard and Bella found that just the thought of being separated by just a few layers of fabric turned her on.

Jacob paused, looking at Bella as she sat over him. For something that sounded like a great idea a few seconds ago, Jacob realized that he had put them into a very compromising position. He could feel his heart beating in his chest, nearly deafening in his ears.

"Hey there," he said, innocently.

"Hey," she replied with an awkward chuckle.

Bella couldn't help but smile meekly and duck her head into his shoulder in embarrassment. She had never been one to be so bold and here she was, sitting on Jacob's lap in the front seat of his car. If someone had told her a week ago that she'd practically make out with him in his Rabbit and straddle his lap, enjoying having his growing erection being pushed against her, she would have laughed embarrassingly and would have bet all her money against it. But here they were and suddenly, she was embarrassed for being so forward as to straddle his lap like this.

The sound of their breathing was all they could despite the rain pouring down on the car outside.

With Bella's head still on his shoulder, she felt Jacob's hands gently rest against her back, an intense heat radiating from them.

"Look, Bella, we don't have to do anything," he told her softly. "I can still just bring you home."

A thought came to mind and Bella raised her head and looked at him. "What do you want?"

Jacob was surprised by the question. How could she not know? "Me?"

Bella nodded as Jacob smiled. He was about to answer when Bella leaned in and kissed his neck again.

"How's this?"

Jacob chuckled and nodded. "That was good."

Bella slowly licked along his neck, inciting a soft moan from Jacob and she felt his hands squeeze against her back.

"And how 'bout that?"

"Hmmm," was his only response.

"I want what you want," Bella whispered in his ear.

Jacob opened his eyes as Bella leaned in and brought her mouth to his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Bella and Jacob kept their eyes on each other while Jacob came in for another kiss, this one lasting longer than the last. Bella could feel a heat intensifying within her as Jacob's erection pushed up against her. His teasing at her mouth was not ony frustrating her, but her desire for more of him grew.

Bella tipped her head to the side, while Jacob's lips, slowly and seductively created a trail of kisses down her neck, to her ear and then to her shoulder just beside her bra strap. Teasingly, Jacob pulled it to the side, sliding it low over her shoulder. He kissed down her shoulder and over her chest, following the path where her bra strap once rested, stopping just above the cup. Jacob heard Bella's breathing increase and could feel her hands tangle themselves within his hair on the back of his head, pulling it slightly.

Jacob paused, feeling an intensity suddenly burn within him and a heat radiate over his erection. He hated to admit to himself that he wanted nothing more than to rip that bra right off of her. But this would be crossing a line that neither of them may be ready for. Hell, Bella had just admitted that she loved him and she was kissing him. It didn't mean anything more than that, but based on the fact that she could feel his desire for her and she hadn't climbed off of him when he said, it had to mean something. Still, he stopped and sighed.

"Bells, I'm thinking that maybe we should stop," he said, his voice husky from the intense desires that he had been enduring. As much as he didn't want to stop, he wasn't going to push her either.

"You want to stop?" She asked him, looking into his eyes, her voice untrusting.

Jacob snorted. "Of course not, I just think..."

Quickly, she reached behind her back and undid her bra, dropping it on the passenger seat beside them. Jacob stared for a moment, not even certain what had just happened. Every teenage boys wet dream was happening right in front of him and all he could think about was whether Bella really wanted this. It was obvious that she did. With that thought in mind, he was certain that his erection just grew another inch.

"Are you sure?"

She answered him by wrapped her arms tightly around Jacob's neck, bringing her lips back down to his as he kissed her hard. Jacob couldn't help but growl, enjoying the feel of her breasts pushing against his chest. His hands ran down Bella's sides as she pressed herself tightly against him, feeling the mounds of flesh squeezing out of the side. Almost frantically, Jacob kissed down her neck and then over her shoulder, anxiousness filling him as he moved lower. Sensing his intended path, Bella pushed up on her knees and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations. Suddenly, he stopped.

Jacob was looking at her breasts. He simply stared. Although her breasts weren't huge, they weren't small either. To Jacob, they were perfect. Her small pink nipples were perk from brushing against his chest. His mind raced as to whether he should ask permission to touch her, or even how he should touch her. He had never touched a woman's breasts before and beside's looking at the odd magazine with Embry and Quil, and talking guy stuff with them, he was new to this. He looked up at Bella's face hovering above him as her chest moved with each breath she took. Her eyes were shut as she breathed deeply, waiting.

For Bella, frustration was starting to build as she could sense his hesitation to touch her in a place so intimate where no one had ever touched her, let alone seen. It lasted for just a few moments before she felt very warm hands rest beneath either of her breasts, gently squeezing, touching before his thumbs grazed over her sensitive nipples. Bella hitched a breath. And then suddenly, his touch was gone.

As he looked at her breasts at eye level to him, Jacob could feel some deep internal desire to taste her. As strange as it was when he considered it, he knew that for some reason, he had to do it. Something demanded him to just do it.

Bella was about to open her eyes to see what was wrong when she suddenly heard a deep growl and felt a tongue slowly lick up from under the supple flesh of her breast, stopping beside her nipple. Reaching out, Bella put her hands behind Jacob's head, twisting her fingers in his hair, moaning as he licked over nearly every inch of her breasts, yet avoiding her nipples in a lengthy tease.

Suddenly, Bella gasped as his tongue suddenly licked over her nipple, his fingers digging into her back. Chuckling at her sudden response, Jacob repeated the action with the other breast and was rewarded with the same small gasp.

"You are a tease" Bella groaned, looking down at him.

"You're enjoying it."

"So are you."

Bella opened her eyes and watched as Jacob wrapped his lips around her nipple, sucking on it and pulling it gently between his teeth. Bella's breath hitched as her mouth opened and her eyes closed, her hands pulling at Jacob's head to continue. Once again he chuckled, his tongue teasing her nipples as he squeezed her breasts.

Bella was right about Jacob enjoying himself. Although she wasn't sitting right on his lap at the moment, he was extremely aware of the bulge within his pants. For Jacob, it was becoming almost a painful ache that he knew he'd have to relieve himself of sometime soon. There was no other way around it. Jacob had gotten himself so aroused that there was no way that simply relaxing or thinking of something other than the beautiful woman half-naked in front of him would help.

When Bella suddenly leaned down to kiss Jacob's lips, his erection was painfully aware of her presense once again pushing against it. In his own desperation, Jacob deepened the kiss, squeezing her hips with his hands. Instinctively, Bella rocked her hips with his grip.

"Shit," Jacob swore, lifting his hands from her hips, breaking the kiss and startling Bella. He chuckled slightly, panting. "Bells, you can't do that. You...you can't move your hips like that. It feels so good...but you can't do that."

Bella sighed and looked at him as she considered something.

"Let's do this then," she told him, decidedly.

It was obviously not the words he was expecting to hear and he had no idea what she meant by them. "Wait...what?"

A smile came to Bella's lips as she leaned in and gave a quick peck on Jacob's lips before she undid the button and zipper on her jeans. Jacob couldn't beleive his eyes as she carefully maneuvered, moving her knees together between Jacob's legs to slide her pants down to her ankles. She slipped out of them and left them at Jacob's feet by the foot pedals before straddling Jacob's legs once more wearing only her underwear.

"I've already felt you pushing against me. I want to feel you inside me, Jake."


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N - Once again, some lines are pulled from New Moon so those are not credited to me. Thank you for the reviews and the many followers and favourites. Hope you enjoy this chapter :)**_

 _ **Warning: Mature themes ahead**_

* * *

Jacob choked in shock at her words and chuckled nervously, shaking his head as Bella wrapped her hands around Jacob's neck.

"Bells, we...we don't have to."

"No, we don't. But, do you really want to do this?" She quickly asked, both seriousness and frustration etched across her face. She was getting tired of him asking her over and over and wondered deep down if he didn't. "'Cause, you've been asking me a lot if this is what I want. I'm starting to wonder if this is something you want."

Again, he chuckled. "Of course I do. But I'm not going to coerce you into having sex with me. I don't want our relationship to be based on me trying to manipulate you or you just going along with it just because you think its what I want. I want more than that for us; I want us both to be happy and satisfied. And I'm not looking at this like some one-time fuck, Bella."

He paused, and ran his hands over her hips. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

Bella's memories suddenly flashed back to Edward, hearing words similar to those coming from his lips. But to hear them from Jacob, see that deep affection in his eyes, it brought a clarity to Bella's mind. She suddenly realized that the man sitting under her had given her more respect and honesty than she had ever gotten from Edward. Closing her eyes briefly and nodding her head, she erased Edward's image from her mind. He was no longer her focus.

Never again.

"I want that too," Bella told him, smiling. "All of it."

Jacob grinned, before he winced. "Good, but I do have to tell you something important."

Bella's smile faded.

"I've never done this before, so this is kinda new territory for me."

Her smile quickly returned as she kissed Jacob once again. "It is for me too."

He looked at her eyes, surprised to hear her say it. He was certain that she had a physical relationship with Edward Cullen. Everyone thought so but to hear from her own lips that she was a virgin as well. Something deep stirred, roused the monster within him, satisfied to hear that they were both sharing their first time together.

"We'll go slow," Jacob assured her, before Bella nodded in agreement. "And let me know if anything hurts. We'll stop."

Jacob reached up for her face and brushed her hair from her eyes before giving her a smile and bringing his mouth to hers. He met her lips in a long, fluid, passionate kiss; much more intimate than any kiss that they ever had before. It left them both with a hunger and desire, far beyond anything they had felt yet.

When Bella's hips rocked once again, Jacob swore into her mouth before sweeping his tongue out to taste her. Bella moaned, running her hands down his chest. When Jacob leaned forward slightly to wrap his arms around her, Bella ran her hands behind his back.

Again, Bella's hips rocked against him, pushing hard against his erection.

"Damn it," he cursed, breaking the kiss although Bella continued her frantic kisses down Jacob's jaw to his neck. He closed his eyes before reaching down between them. With one hand, he undid the button and zipper on his jeans. Using his arms, he pushed up on the seat, lifting both of them slightly up off the chair, just enough to get the waist band of his pants out of the way. Just that extra room for his bulging erection felt so much better.

With Bella's lips on his neck, he slipped his hand into his underwear and he closed his eyes. He felt the pulsing ache within his hand and he moaned.

"Bells," he gasped, feeling her kissing and licking his neck, all the while desperate for that release. "That's good."

She brought her eyes back to his before she noticed his hand down within his underwear. Taking his face within her hands, she brought her mouth to his own, sucking on his bottom lip. Jacob gasped, pulling his erection out and tucked his underwear beneath it. Giving it a few pumps of his fist, he brushed it towards where Bella straddled his legs. Bella sucked in a breath as she kissed Jacob. It was an odd sensation to feel something so hard against her inner legs, but it produced a sudden burning within her.

"Your underwear are still on," Jacob moaned against her mouth.

Frantically and with her mouth still against Jacob's, Bella reached down between them and simply pulled the fabric of her underwear to one side before pushing up slightly on her knees. As she kissed him, Jacob slid his hand down her stomach and over her underwear. He felt her tremble involuntarily, breaking the kiss and her breath come in short pants as his fingers found her soft, wet heat among the folds between her legs.

Bella gasped, pinching her eyes shut as she gripped Jacob's long hair on the back of his neck. She could feel his fingers against her. They were hotter than her own skin and she instinctively bucked her hips slightly at his touch, demanding more.

Jacob looked up at her face, seeing her eyes shut as she bit down on her bottom lip, seeming to enjoy his finger gently exploring within her folds of skin. She was wet and it wasn't from being drenched in the rainstorm.

A uncontrollable growl rose up in Jacob's chest once again and he couldn't help but bring his fingers to his face. A snarl came to his lips as the beast within caught the sweet scent on his hand. Jacob found that he couldn't help but lick the length of his fingers that had the most intimate of juices on them. It was a strange desire, but it placated the monster that he felt threaten to rise within him. Jacob ignored the strange creature that seemed to want to push itself to the surface in favour of the woman practically naked in front of him. Somehow, he knew that the monster was wanting this to; it needed it, demanded it.

Gently, Jacob centred himself under her before Bella instinctely brought herself down. Jacob sucked in a breath, feeling the overwhelming tightness and the desire to just thrust. He held back, watching her face. She was concentrating on relaxing and when a slight crease appeared on her brow and she whimpered, Jacob spoke.

"We can stop."

Bella shook her head, before opening her eyes; a desire thickly veiled over them.

"Kiss me," she demanded huskily.

Knowing that this was something that she was needing right now, Jacob obliged. He kissed her, pecking at her lips and allowing her to take the lead in whatever she was needing.

Bella kissed him passionately, moaning slightly as she pulled at his lips with her teeth and swept her tongue across his teeth. It was in a frantic desperation. She was needing a distraction from the pain and that was exactly what it was doing.

Jacob was careful not to buck his hips as the overwhelming pleasure of being half engulfed within Bella was hard to ignore.

Suddenly, she moved and pressed into his hips, a sudden pressure being released as she whimpered against his lips.

"Bells?"

She nodded and smiled. "I'm good. This feels so good."

Jacob had to agree. The heat not only surrounding his erection but also pressed firmly against his groin was something that he wouldn't forget anytime soon.

He leaned forward and placed a kiss above her breast before reaching down to hold onto her hips. Bella moved slightly and Jacob sucked in a breath of pleasure.

"Do that again," Jacob moaned, closing his eyes.

With a smile on her face, Bella moved once more as she had and continued the action over and over. Jacob let out a deep groan before he reached forward and brought his mouth to Bella's nipples. He sucked and teased with his tongue, finding that he was enjoying her small gasps and sounds she made. At the same time, his hands clawed down her back while Bella's hips kept moving against his groin.

Bella slowed down her movement slightly, making them long and fluid. Jacob could feel almost his entire length pull out of her warmth before plunging deeply back within her. He gasped against Bella's breasts, his lips curled up and a snarl escaped his lips as she panted.

"You feel so good inside me," Bella groaned breathlessly. "God...go deeper, Jake. Deeper."

With a growl, he reached up and took her head between his hands, thrusting up at her harder. Jacob frantically kissed her, both gasping in need and pleasure as Bella quickened her own pace on his hips. Jacob met each movement she made and thrusted his hips at her, small cries of pleasure erupting out of Bella.

Suddenly he broke the kiss and stopped.

"Shit, shit, shit, stop, Bells. No," Jacob suddenly said, growling angrily and shaking his head. "I don't have a condom."

Bella quickly took his head between her hands, looking at him beneath heavy lust-filled eyes. "Don't...don't worry about it. Don't stop."

Taking that as Bella was on birth control, Jacob grabbed her hips once again and resumed thrusting up at her. Upon hearing Bella's cries of pleasure and demands that he keep moving under her, Jacob kissed and sucked at her lips before kissing a trail down her cheek, along her neck and across her shoulder. He held onto her hips tightly, as he felt himself about to explode.

"J..J..Jake," Bella gasped aloud, feeling herself slowly coming apart at that same edge. She wrapped her arms around Jacob's back, pulling him tightly to her as her nails seemed to dig into his skin. Jacob slid his arms up her back, his thrusting into her becoming more chaotic as he felt himself about to come.

Jacob groaned deeply, already feeling her inner walls beginning to clench around him with the forthcoming of her climax.

Feeling himself about to reach that same pinnacle, he continued to kiss and lick her shoulder, focusing on the skin under his lips to hold back for her. Just as he couldn't hold back any longer, Bella cried out and writhed within his tight grasp as he held her tightly against his chest, her nails digging into his back. At the same time, Jacob growled, biting down on her shoulder as his body tensed and spasmed with its own release.

Quickly, Bella reached up and held Jacob's head to her shoulder, ensuring that his mouth wasn't going to move from her neck. She found his erotic bite at her skin was as pleasurable as her climax.

While Bella held him to her shoulder, Jacob could feel himself being spilled into her in what seemed to last longer than any hand job he had ever given himself in the past.

The car once again fell silent as their panting was the only sound they could hear. The storm outside seemed to have moved on while they had had sex, the rumbling of thunder once again far in the distance. Neither of them moved, nor wanted to. Bella merely turned her head on Jacob's shoulder to look out the window, to find the glass had steamed up. Chuckling, she reached out with one hand and wrote not only her name but Jacob's as well on the condensation. She finished it up with a heart going around them.

Hearing Bella's lighthearted laughter, Jacob opened his eyes. For the first time, he saw the angry red teeth marks embedded in her skin. Feeling a strong instinctive desire wash over him, he gently licked it. Bella moaned lightly.

"That feels so good," she mumbled, her other hand was still on his head, holding his face towards her shoulder. Jacob smirked and continued the gently laps of his tongue over the small wound. Satisfied, he turned his head to see what she had written on the inside of the car window. Bella sat back slightly.

"What do you think?"

Jacob smiled, running his hands up and down Bella's bareback.

"I love it," he replied. He paused and looked at her. "You were amazing."

Bella turned to him, and put her hands behind his neck, looking at him at arms length.

"You sir, were incredible."

"Not bad for a couple of first timers."

Bella giggled and shook her head.

"I never thought my first time would be inside of a car during a rain storm but there's something intimate about being in such close quarters."

"I'll never look at the Rabbit the same way again," Jacob added with a smirk before giving Bella's lips a quick peck. He reached around her and cranked the window down, letting the fresh rain air into the car. There was a calming silence in the forest, the sound of the waves in the distance echoing up into the woods.

"We should probably get home," Bella said, kissing Jacob's lips again. "Dad's going to be wondering where I am if he happened to see us pick up Mike's car and not come back."

Something stirred within Jacob upon hearing the mention of Mike Newton's name once again. It was obvious that the guy had planned the evening with the intention of making it a date between himself and Bella.

From the moment Jacob showed up at Bella's house and they found out that it was just going to be the three of them going to the movies, Jacob could sense a silent competition going on between them. While Jacob had felt confident and cocky, knowing full well that Bella wasn't interested in Mike's advances, he couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of her attention on him when he had been sick. The thought of knowing that Mike didn't know when to back off and her, not only seeing the guy at school but also at work caused a deep possessive feeling to wash over him. A single thought came to mind and it was strong.

 _Mine_

Suddenly feeling strange and a bit concerned over the unfounded anger that seemed to course through him, Jacob cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I think that's a good idea," he said, his brow creasing.

Bella looked at him, concerned not that he was agreeing with her but by the unusual tone of his voice.

"Jake, you okay?"

"I don't know," he said, thoughtfully. "I'm feeling a bit odd."

Bella sighed. "Oh, I hope you're not getting what Mike has."

Again, the name brought back emotions.

"We should probably get going."

Bella nodded and carefully pushed up on her hips, feeling him slide out of her. While she moved over to the passenger seat, she watched as Jacob tucked himself back inside his underwear and pulled up his pants before trembling as he passed her her wet pants from his feet.

"Jake, you don't look good," she commented as he turned on the ignition. "I can drive if you want."

He shook his head and took a deep breath. "I'm fine. I'll be fine."

Bella glanced over at him every so often as she pulled on her bra and did up her blouse while they made the trip back to Forks. At one time, she reached over and put her hand on his knee. He slid his hand into her palm and squeezed her hand. Strangely, touching her skin made him feel almost well again. Jacob held her hand the entire way home, his rough thumb gently brushing against her skin. As horrible as he was beginning to feel, he wanted nothing more than to pull the car over to the side of the road and take her there once again. But coming into Forks and having the daughter of the police chief beside him, it would be unlikely that Jacob would be alive for very long.

When he pulled into her driveway, he was starting to feel as though he was crawling out of his skin.

"You know, I think you might be right," he said, taking deep breaths. "I think I might be coming down with something."

Bella sighed sympathetically and brushed her hand across his forehead. "Yeah, you do feel quite warm; warmer than you were earlier."

Jacob nodded, feeling the heat pouring off of him. "I need to go."

Bella undid her seatbelt and leaned over, catching Jacob's lips with her own. She could hear his unsteady breathing against her mouth, trembling slightly from whatever bug he had caught. Bella was worried, knowing he had a good fifteen minute drive to get home.

"Maybe I should drive you home."

"No!" He said a little to forcefully, a small growl dripping from his lips.

His eyes suddenly became apologetic.

"Sorry. I hope it's just something I need to sleep off," he added softer.

"Then call me when you get home."

Jacob nodded, quickly putting the car into reverse before she even closed the door.

"I love you," she told him, a small smile appearing on his face

"I love you too."

Bella watched as he pulled out of the driveway and disappeared down the road. It appeared that despite how he was feeling, he seemed to be driving fine. As concerned as she was for Jacob, a smile that she knew wouldn't be leaving anytime soon graced her face when she recalled heir evening. Afraid that Charlie may suspect something, she looked down at her clothing ensuring that nothing was backwards or inside out before she opened the door.

When Bella walked in the house, she realized that her concerns were unfounded. Charlie was sitting a foot in front of the television, so engrossed in what was going on that he didn't notice Bella come in, let alone the unusual smile on Bella's face.

"Dad, I'm home."

"Movie over already?" He called out, his eyes not leaving the screen.

"Mike got sick," Bella told him. "It's probably the stomach flu. Jake's probably coming down with it too."

"You okay?"

"I feel great," she told him, that same smile on her face.

Charlie looked over at her and for a moment, Bella wondered if he knew, if he could tell what had happened in those minutes between the cinema and coming home. He paused and his eyes squinted.

"Why are you wet?"

Bella chuckled. "Long story."

Charlie's moustache twitched as he grinned at hearing her laughter. It wasn't something he had heard in a while.

"As long as you kids had fun and didn't get into any mischief, I'm okay with that."

A chuckle escaped Bella's lips once again as she took Charlie's statement in a whole other direction. Charlie smiled.

"It's good to hear you laugh again, Bells," he said, softly. "Looks like you had a good time tonight."

"I did," she agreed wholeheartedly. "I'm going to get changed out of these clothes."

"Sure! And you're welcome to come join me for the final inning of the Mariners game. I haven't seen a double play like this in years! They're going to need a miracle to recover from it."

Bella smiled, nodding and finding that she would enjoy doing something like that. Besides, she was going to be waiting for Jacob's phone call anyways.

A few minutes later, she came down the stairs to hearing Charlie's shouts of frustration and cursing at the television.

"Damn short stop needs to be traded next year or something," he stated, gesturing to the television as he sat back on his chair and took a swig of his beer. Bella sat down on the couch, and put a blanket over her lap, watching the screen. "I'm sure that guy just cost them the rest of the game."

"Sanchez?" Bella asked. "Wasn't he just traded from Toronto?"

Charlie looked over at her, surprised to hear that she was even aware of the players name, let alone what team he had been on previously. He had no idea that she had any interest in baseball. He nodded, smirking.

"I didn't know you kept up with baseball."

Bella shrugged and smiled. "I don't. I just heard Jake spout something off about him with Billy a few days ago." She paused for a moment and looked at the screen. "Maybe we could get some Mariners tickets this summer and you and I see a game in person. Make a weekend of it in Seattle."

Charlie smirked, intrigued with both the idea of spending a weekend with Bella in Seattle and the fact that she even suggested it in the first place. Even before her world seemed to revolve around Edward, she would have never made such a suggestion. Charlie didn't want to get too optimistic about finally seeing some life within his daughter, but based on her mood's lately and the fact that she was not only smiling, but laughing, he knew that Jacob's sunny disposition must have rubbed off on her. The way that she mentioned his name more often than not and desired to spend time with him caused Charlie to suspect that there may be more than a friendship going on between his daughter and his best friend's son.

"Sounds like a plan," Charlie said with a smile on his face. He took another swig of his beer before glancing curiously over at Bella as she held the phone in her hand.

"Waiting for a phone call?"

Bella looked down at the phone in hand before nodding. "I told Jake to call when he got home. He wasn't looking good. I probably should have drove him home."

Charlie's moustache twitched as he suppressed a grin, considering his suspicions to be more than right. She had never shown so much concern about someone either than with Edward. He'd have to confirm later with Billy if he had been seeing the same thing.

"Well, you did just get in about ten minutes ago and it's a good fifteen minute ride to La Push," Charlie calculated. "Give him another five."

Bella sighed, knowing Charlie was right. But, she also knew that Jacob had a tendency to drive faster down the winding road to La Push than Charlie was aware of. Still, she gave Jacob more time, not knowing if he had to stop along the way to throw up or if he had made it home and was in the bathroom.

Another ten minutes went by and nothing.

Bella watched the baseball game, yet at the same time, she wasn't. Her mind was preoccupied with the fact that twenty minutes had passed since Jacob had left her house. With a sigh, she stood up from the couch with the phone in hand, telling Charlie that she'd make the call from the kitchen so she wouldn't disturb the final minutes of the game.

She dialed and it rang and rang, and for a moment she wondered if she had called the wrong number until she heard the call going straight to Jacob's voice mail. Bella hung up rather than leaving a message. Worried and desperate, she called directly to his house.

Again, it rang and rang. For a moment, Bella thought that Billy may have been asleep until she heard his wary voice on he eighth ring, as though he was expecting bad news.

" _Hello_?"

"Billy, it's me, Bella. Is Jake there? He left my house twenty minutes ago."

" _Yeah, he's here,_ " Billy answered stoically.

"He told me he'd call when he got home," she told him in confusion. She knew that Jacob wouldn't have forgotten. "He looked like he was coming down with something when he left."

" _He was...too sick to call_ ," Billy told her. He sounded distant, as though he had a lot of his mind. " _He's still not feeling well right now."_

"Let me know if you need any help," she offered, thinking of Billy being confined to his chair and having to care for Jacob. "I could come down."

" _No, no_ ," Billy said quickly. " _We're fine here. You stay home."_

The way he said it was almost rude. But knowing Billy, she assumed that he didn't want to expose her to whatever virus Jacob had gotten. Only Billy had no clue how exposed she had already been to his son.

"Okay," she agreed softly.

" _Bye Bella."_

The line disconnected before she had the chance to say her goodbye. Charlie took that moment to walk into the kitchen, looking just as despondent as she felt.

"Games over and I'm betting so is any chance for winning a pennant this year for the Mariners," Charlie said grudgingly. He paused and looked at Bella's face. "How's Jake?"

"Sick," she simply replied.

"Damn," Charlie stated, throwing his empty beer cans into the garbage. "Hope Billy doesn't get it. The guy's health can't take it right now."

Bella nodded in agreement and yawned, stretching her arms forward as she thought about offering to bring some soup over in the morning.

"What's that on top of your shoulder? Looks like your skin is reacting to something that bit you."

Bella ran her hand over her shoulder, her mind going back to those intense, intimate moments in the car and suddenly remembered the painful, yet erotic bite that Jacob left at the height of his climax. It wasn't raised, nor was it painful.

"Try not to scratch it," Charlie said, warningly. "I'd put something on it if I were you before it gets worse. Damn bugs around here are horrible this time of year."

While Charlie told her he was going to get some sleep before heading into work in the morning, Bella went into the bathroom and for the first time, took a look at that bite on her shoulder. It did look like a bad insect bite - it was bright red with a defining edge to it, yet it didn't itch, sting or hurt. Bella ran her finger over it, feeling the contours and finding that she could sense slight indentations around the edges. It caused a tremor of pleasure to pulse through her body. With a gasp, she quickly held onto the countertop and took a deep breath before looking at herself in the mirror.

 _What the hell?_

Pulling out an antibiotic cream, she gently ran it over the surface of the bite before heading into her room. Charlie was fast asleep, based on the snoring coming from his bedroom. She climbed into bed and laid down, realizing for the first time that she was still sore in places that she ever thought she'd be sore. It was a pleasant ache. When she closed her eyes to try to sleep, memories of Jacob's warm hands on her filled her mind. His kisses on her lips, her neck, and her breasts ghosted over her. She couldn't wait to feel his lips on her own again and to simply spend time with him in his garage, working on a project or just talking about anything and everything

While she was convinced that she had been in love with Edward, this was different. This was not just an infatuation, a crush or an obsession. She loved Jacob with her entire being and as much as it scared Bella to had admitted it, not only to him but to herself, it excited her.

Bella rolled over, her thoughts on Jacob and their night together. Clearly, she had been exposed to whatever virus Jacob had. There was no doubt about it and Bella knew that it was only a matter of time before she began to show symptoms. She just didn't think that it would be so quick.

Bella suddenly awoke just after four in the morning when she felt a strong burning sensation in her stomach. Quickly jumping up from bed, Bella raced for the bathroom and threw up. An hour later, when he woke up, Charlie found her laying on the bathroom floor, her cheek resting against the cool tiles. With a sigh, he put a glass of water and the portable phone beside her.

"Do you need anything else?" He asked, concluding that she had ultimately caught the same bug that Mike and Jacob had.

"Yeah, call the store this morning for me and tell Mrs. Newton that I wont be coming in later."

Charlie considered staying home to watch over her, but Bella insisted that he go. The last thing she wanted was for him to fall sick too.

While Charlie left for work, Bella spent a good part of the day on the bathroom floor. She vaguely remembered Charlie coming home that evening, opening her bedroom door to check on her. She rolled over and squinted at the invading light from the hallway.

"Sorry," he whispered. "Go back to sleep."

Her eyes tried to focus on her digital clock beside the bed.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly eight at night," he replied, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You must have been in bed all day. I called after lunch to let you know that I'd be working late, but I guess you were sleeping. There's been reports of bear sightings around town and we've been busy."

Bella couldn't believe that she slept all day. She had climbed into bed sometime in the morning when the bathroom floor was no longer comfortable. Her stomach was no longer protesting and although she still felt weak, she did feel a bit better.

"Has Jake called?"

Charlie shook his head, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I called Billy this morning to see how Jake was feeling. He was feeling as crappy as you." He paused for a second, as it seemed he was attempting to hold in a smile.

"What?"

Charlie shrugged. "Oh nothing, just heard something interesting from Billy today. He said that although Jake was feeling horrible, he had mentioned that you and he had come to an understanding last night." He paused once again. "So, is it true? You and Jake, you guys are a couple?"

A smile came to Bella's face. "Yeah, I suppose so. Since when have you and Billy turned into old gossips?"

Charlie chuckled, patting Bella's hand.

"I'm just happy for you. Do you know that Billy had been trying to get Jacob to ask you out since you moved back here? I'm glad you two are together. Jake's a great and decent guy, the kind of guy that you can depend on."

There was a underlying tone that Charlie was comparing him to Edward and Bella knew it. As much as she defended Edward in the past, she had to agree with Charlie. Yet, Bella doubted that Charlie would be thinking so highly of Jacob if he was aware that that same great kid was the one who took her virginity last night.

"He is," Bella agreed, with a smile.

Not wanting to cross into uncomfortable emotional territory, Charlie stood up from the side of bed. "So, are you up to eating? I can make you some toast."

Bella nodded, finding her stomach growl with the mention of food.

With a satisfied smile, headed back downstairs. Bella slowly sat up and reached for the portable phone from beside the bed, dialing Jacob's cell phone number. If she was feeling better, there was no doubt that he'd be well by now as well. But when she heard his voice, she knew that he wasn't over it.

"Jake? You sound horrible," Bella told him.

" _I feel horrible,_ " he said, his voice weak.

"This is my fault," she admitted. "If you didn't come last night, you wouldn't have been exposed to the flu that Mike had."

" _Don't blame yourself,_ " Jacob whispered. " _This isn't your fault. And besides, I wouldn't have missed last night for the world. I had a lot of fun being with you. I'll never forget it."_

A smile came to Bella's face.

"Me too." She sighed.

" _How are you feeling? My Dad mentioned that you were feeling sick."_

"I'm doing much better so you're probably going to be feeling better soon," she encouraged.

There was a slight pause and he mumbled before she could hear him once again. " _I doubt it. This is different."_

"You don't have the stomach flu?"

Bella was confused.

" _No, I have something else."_

"What's wrong with you?"

" _Everything_ ," he whispered. " _Every part of me hurts like hell."_

"What can I do? I'd like to help you, Jake. I can come over..."

" _No_ ," he interrupted, almost rudely. " _You can't come here."_

She heard him sigh, a rough irritable growl laced beneath it.

" _Look, Bella, I'll call you when I can. I'll let you know when you can come down here again."_

"Jacob-"

" _I've got to go,"_ he told her with sudden urgency.

"Call me when you feel better."

" _Right_ ," he said, his voice taking on a bitter edge to it.

He was silent for a moment before he spoke again.

" _Bella, remember that I love you. I'll always love you,_ " he said softly, his voice barely audible. " _No matter what, remember that, okay?_ "

A sudden fear gripped within Bella. His words and voice had such a finality to them.

"Okay," she told him, weakly as though she was keeping herself together for his benefit. "I love you too. More than you know."

She heard Jacob breathe in deeply before he let it out.

" _I know_ ," he finally replied softly.

"Bye Jake."

" _Bye Bella_."

She hung up, not knowing that it would be nearly two years before she'd hear his voice once again.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N - First and foremost, thank you for the reviews and kind words.**_

 _ **To the one guest reviewer who kept themselves anonymous to say that this story is sounding like another one found on here, let me assure you that despite your suspicions, it isn't. To insinuate that I'm blatantly plagiarizing someone else's work is a bit insulting. There are SOOO many stories that I have read with a similar initial storylines(ie. taking a Twilight story and twisting it around) and each turn out completely different. And this is one of them. I can guarantee that my ideas are my own and while the basis of this has probably been seen elsewhere, it wont be the same. I have never copied someone else work as I'd never want that to happen to myself.**_

 ** _Now that that is out of the way, I hope you enjoy this next chapter._**

* * *

The next morning, Bella woke up, feeling as though the past 36 hours had been a dream; the movies, the rainstorm, the kiss, the car, laying on the bathroom floor, hearing Jacob's voice again, everything...the memories flew through her mind and as horrible as a few of those 36 hours had been, her time with Jacob trumped it all. She still couldn't believe something had happened between herself and Jacob, but by taking a quick glance in her mirror, the slowly fading mark on her shoulder was her only physical proof that something had happened.

Her mind instantly went to Jacob, wondering how he was. His voice had sounded so tortured when she had spoken to him last night. It pulled painfully at her heart to hear him in such pain. Bella could only hope that he was doing better this morning. She understood Jacob not wanting to expose her to whatever virus he had but Bella chuckled to herself, knowing that despite that concern, there was no doubt that he would have shared it with her regardless. She considered going out to La Push, if only to bring something for Billy to eat while he cared for Jacob.

At the thought of food, her stomach growled and, Bella soon found herself in the kitchen. Charlie had already gone to work, a small scribbled note tacked to the cork board beside the phone telling her that he may be working late again and that he'd call to let her know.

Not certain how much her stomach could take, Bella decided toast was safe and put two pieces of bread in the toaster just as she heard a knock on the front door.

A smile instantly came to her face as she envisioned Jacob standing on her porch. Although he wasn't well last night, Bella knew from her experience that a full twelve hours of rest could have changed that.

As she walked to the front door, it was obvious by the shadow cast over the glass that the guest was a good two feet shorter than Jacob and was much more petite. When Bella opened the door, she gasped, shock evident on her face as her eyes took in the girl in front of her.

"Alice?!"

The small pixie stared at Bella, completely dumbfounded to see her standing in front of her before she suddenly wrapped her arms around her neck, much to Bella's surprise. The feeling of cold marble hit Bella's skin and she sucked in a breath. As soon as she did, Alice let go, apologizing. She winced momentarily at the unusual smell she found coming off of Bella. Still, Bella simply looked at her, still in shock.

"What...what are you doing here?"

"I came to check on you," she quickly replied. "Can you explain to me how you're still alive!?"

Bella looked at Alice's face, the amber eyes searching Bella to make sense of what she had seen in her vision.

"What do you mean? Besides spending the day in bed with the stomach flu yesterday, I've been perfectly fine."

Alice ran her hands through her short hair, trying to connect the dots and figure out why her vision of Bella had been so wrong.

"This doesn't make any sense. I saw a vision of you standing on the top of a cliff and then...nothing. I thought you had jumped."

"I was on a cliff two days ago, but I was fine. I was with Jacob."

"Jacob, who?"

"Jacob Black," Bella responded with a smile. "He's...a close friend of mine. He lives over in La Push."

It began to be clear to Alice what had happened while she had been gone. The strange scent she detected when she hugged her, Bella's future disappearing - it was because of Jacob - it had to be. If he was from La Push, she wagered that he was one of those werewolves. Alice recognized the scent on Bella as similar to that of the big black wolf that they had encountered around the perimeter of their land before they had left. If Bella was close enough to Jacob Black that his scent covered her, Alice knew it wasn't good. She knew that associating with them was dangerous and could certainly cause alarm for Bella's future suddenly disappearing.

Unfortunately, Bella wouldn't be aware of the danger she was in when she'd been with Jacob, nor could Alice explain it to her. The treaty prevented her from saying anything and Alice wasn't about to start anything when she was alone near La Push. Either way, she knew she had to convince Bella to stay away from Jacob Black.

"You can't see him anymore," Alice declared with finality.

Bella snorted. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, you're not safe with him."

Alice spoke the words slowly, as though saying them that way would cause Bella to suddenly agree with her. Bella chuckled incredulously.

"I beg to differ. He makes me feel very safe."

Alice sighed. "Well, what about Edward? I thought you were in love with him."

"Edward left me broken and lost in the middle of the woods," Bella quickly stated, hearing the sound of her toast popping up. She turned and went back to the kitchen to get it. Alice followed after her. "Although it took me some time, it made me reconsider my feelings when it comes to Edward."

"You don't mean that," Alice pleaded to her as she watched Bella take her toast out of the toaster. "I saw your future. I've seen you and him together."

"I thought you said my future disappeared."

"It did, for some reason...that I can't explain. But I have a feeling it has something to do with Jacob Black. That's why it's really important that you don't go near him."

While Bella simply smiled at Alice's accusation and shook her head, Alice was all the more insistent.

"Bella, I'm serious."

"So am I," she said, turning in the kitchen as her frustration for Alice's accusations against Jacob grew. "Jacob Black is very special to me. I'm not going to stay away from him just becasue you tell me to. He's my best friend and I'm in love with him."

Alice shook her head in disbelief at what had happened in the few months that her family had been away. She had told Edward that it was a bad idea when he told the family that it would be best for Bella if they'd leave. Of all the things she anticipated happening, this wasn't one of them.

This was worse.

"You don't mean that. Bella, you can't. Edward...Edward didn't want to leave you."

Bella sighed, and clenched her fists at her side.

"In his case, actions certainly speaks louder than words," Bella said, before she continued. "Did you know what he told me?! Do you!? He said that I wasn't good for him; that he didn't love me."

"Well, he lied," alice admitted. "He's been sulking somewhere in South America because he can't handle being near you and not being able to see you. He still cares about you. He loved you enough to leave you to live your own life but he didn't want you to purposely put yourself in danger."

Bella sighed.

"I'm not putting myself in fucking danger!" She exclaimed, her frustration at Alice's insistence finally causing her to explode. "Now, if you want to visit you can stay, but if you're only here to convince me to stay away from Jacob Black, then you can get the hell out."

Alice simply stared at Bella, not only shocked at her outburst but also her use of language. To Alice, it was obvious that Bella's proximity to the wolves was affecting her behaviour. She was irrational and no longer willing to listen to reason. If she was to get Bella to stay away from Jacob Black, she'd have to think differently.

With a sigh, Alice turned to head to the front door, all the more surprised when Bella didn't try to stop her from leaving. A lot had changed.

"Edward still loves you," Alice said, stopping at the door and looking back at Bella in the kitchen. "If I had called him to tell him that you had died, he would have gone to the Volturi to ask to die as well. He still loves you, Bella, regardless of what you may think."

"Well, he has sure has a strange way of showing it."

A small, sad smile pulled at Alice's lips.

"Perhaps," she added before leaving the house.

Bella stood and stared at the closed front door for a few seconds, taking in all that Alice had told her. Bella was angry; not just angry, she was pissed.

 _How dare Alice come in here and try to convince me that Jacob wasn't safe? I was willing to live with a fucking family of vampires!_

She knew that if she ever saw any of them again, it would be too soon.

Outside, Alice climbed into Carlisle's Mercedes and sighed, before backing onto the road and driving away from Bella's house. Her eye darted over to the centre console as she debated whether or not to make the phone call. It had been obvious that Bella wasn't going to listen to her warnings about Jacob Black. She knew that Edward would want to know that she was putting herself in danger. Making the decision, she pressed the button on the console and waited.

" _I thought I told you not to call unless it's an emergency."_

Edward's voice was soft and it was obvious that he was distant.

"It is, somewhat," she told him. "It's about Bella."

Edward paused, his voice hitching at the sound of her name being spoken aloud. He had not heard or spoken her name since he had left Forks all those months ago.

" _What's wrong? Is she okay?_ "

"For now. But her future has disappeared," Alice replied, watching the road ahead of her as she headed through Forks towards their old home. "I'm going to stick around Forks for a bit just to make sure she's all right."

" _Her future is gone? And she's alive? How?"_

Alice sighed, not wanting to tell Edward what she had discovered.

"She's been associating herself with people from La Push. I think one of them is a wolf."

" _Jacob Black_ ," Edward said solemnly, already knowing who Bella would be hanging around. And it made sense, considering his heritage.

"You know him?"

" _We made the treaty with his great-grandfather and Bella was friends with him when we were living in Forks."_

"Well, right now they may be more than just friends. She said that she's in love with him. I tried to convince her to stay away from him and that he's not safe, but she wont listen to me. Edward, you have to come back and convince her."

Edward paused, letting the news sink in; letting the implications of what he knew could happen when he decided to leave her. He wanted her to live her own human life; get married, have children... He simply never considered how he'd feel to find out that Bella had truly moved on and loved someone who wasn't him.

" _She loves him?_ " He asked painfully.

"So she claims but she doesn't know his true nature," Alice told him. "Her feelings could easily change if she found out the truth about him. But right now she isn't aware of the danger that she is being around him and if her future has disappeared, she's not going to be alive for long. You have to help me.

" _I promised her that I wouldn't interfere with her life."_

"But this is life and death we're talking about," Alice pleaded, argumentatively before she sighed.

"I know that you still love her."

" _I do_ ," Edward admitted. " _But I don't know how I'd be able to convince her to stay away from Jacob Black."_

"She'll listen to you," Alice encouraged. "I know she will."

* * *

 _~3 days Later~_

Billy and Harry Clearwater sat on the porch, watching and waiting as they stared out at the dark forest. Sam had said that he'd be by around nine at night and true to the man's word, he arrived, walking out of the woods behind Billy's house and into the light illuminating from the porch.

Sam appeared as haggard as Billy felt, obviously not having slept much after having to deal with Jacob's delayed phasing. They had been anticipating it for weeks and for all Billy knew, he would have phased long ago if it weren't for Bella. She seemed to somehow keep him in a good mood. But it was obvious that even she couldn't keep his destiny at bay forever. To see his son practically stumble into the house, his muscles trembling before he pushed his way past his wheel chair to throw up in the bathroom scared the living daylights out of Billy.

He had quickly called Sam and the words fell out of his mouth before the younger man even said hello.

"It's happening, Sam," he had said and that's all he had to say.

Sam had dropped everything and ran out of his house, fearful for Billy's safety while he quickly alerted the other three in the pack of an impending new member. It was always a solemn feeling that was shared among them when they realized another young man's fate was forever tied to the mythos of the Quileute's. His life would never be his own.

Billy had tried his best to reassure Jacob, mentioning Bella's name in hopes of warding off his phasing, which ironically brought a smile to Jacob's face despite the intense pain he was enduring.

"She loves me, Dad," Billy remembered Jacob had said, his expression lighting up joyfully before his face creased in pain once again. "She told me and she kissed me."

When Sam had quickly raced in the house, Jacob snarled at the sudden invasion, his expression of happiness instantly vanishing. While Jacob had fought Sam as he literally dragged him out of his house, Billy could do nothing more than apologize to his son and assure him that he'd be all right. That was two nights ago.

So much had happened since then. Bella's phone call asking about whether Jacob had gotten home occured just moments after Sam had pulled Jacob out of his house and he hadn't seen his son since then.

Harry had come over to offer Billy some support and to give him an outlet if he had wanted to talk. Not to his surprise, Billy hadn't said much. His mind was completely fixed on Jacob's well being and now that Sam had finally come by the house, Billy was eager to know how Jacob was doing since he had been dragged out of his house.

As he approached, Sam could see the concern and worry etched in his elder's face.

"How is he, Sam?"

Sam forced a smile on his face before he sighed. "He finally phased last night. I've never seen someone fight it so much." He paused. "I had to force it because I was afraid that his body couldn't take much more strain."

Harry was surprised. It was the first time he had heard of such a thing.

"You forced it? How?"

Sam looked at the ground, not wanting to meet Billy's eyes. It wasn't his proudest moment knowing that the words he had said to Billy's son just to cause him to end his physical pain. Paul had graciously volunteered to put some salt in Jacob's proverbial wounds but Sam insisted that as Alpha, it was his job. It really wasn't all that hard. They had all overheard Bella's phone call to Jacob just prior and knew exactly what would set him off.

"I made him so angry to the extent that he couldn't calm himself down," Sam told them, not willing to go into the details of how he used Bella's past to emotionally manipulate Billy's son in order to cause him to phase.

"But he's okay?" Billy asked, his eyes weary.

Sam nodded. "We finally got him back on two legs a few hours ago. He's still angry about it all, but he'll be okay."

 _Okay_.

Sam knew that in itself was a lie. None of them would ever be _okay_. Knowing that you had the power to turn into a monster that could kill vampire was never okay. For Sam, it helped that he had Emily; she kept him grounded and reminded him that he was still a gentle man who was loved and could love. Jared had also found that same thing within a young girl he knew at school named Kim, but as for Embry, Paul and Jacob, they were just surviving, living a life, day to day that they'd replay over and over for the rest of their lives. They would lie and tell people that they were fine, but they all knew that deep down, the life-long responsibility would take a toll on them emotionally . Thankfully, the small pack had each other. Although they'd never verbally express their concerns and worries, they all shared the same thoughts; the same fears - Being alone and rejected for who they really were.

A weak smile graced Billy's face, as he seemed to know that Sam wasn't being as candid as he hoped. But this was something for him to hold onto.

His son was alive.

"Thanks, Sam."

Sam paused, considering whether it was best to inform Jacob's father of something that he had seen in his mind. It had been agreed upon once Paul had phased that thoughts that were shared within the pack stayed within the pack. While Sam, Paul, Jared and Embry were on their way to being able to control the images and thoughts that they shared with each other, Jacob's mind was still an open book. They had all seen his affection for Bella and witnessed uncensored images from his mind and their past conversations, so Sam was aware of how deep Jacob's relationship went with Bella; a little more than he cared to know.

"Before he phased, Jacob talked to Bella on the phone..."

"What? Are you sure that was a good idea?" Harry quickly interjected. "He could have said something."

"I was right there," Sam said, a bitter slap within his words. "And considering Jacob was in a lot of pain and his life was about to change, I allowed it."

Sam looked to Billy, his eyes softening.

"Jake was and is really...really concerned about Bella," he told him before he sighed. "We had detected a Cullen near our land and Jared followed it up towards Bella's house before it disappeared back down the road towards their old place."

"They're back?" Billy asked, the colour draining from his face knowing ultimately it could lead to a lot more wolves phasing.

"It was only one and it's staying away from our land," Sam replied. "But I've had to order Jacob to stay on the reservation and not to run to Forks to check on Bella himself. Right now, he's still volatile and I'm not going to allow him to be near her or anyone for the next few days."

Billy knew that Sam's mind went back to Emily, and her scars. As much as Billy was eager to see Jacob, he knew that the Sam wasn't going to allow what happened to Emily to happen to anyone else.

"I think if you could check to ensure that Bella is okay, Jake would appreciate it."

"I can do that," Harry suddenly admitted softly to Sam. "Charlie and I are going fishing in the morning. I'll call you to let you know."

While Billy thanked Harry, Sam nodded. He was about to turn to leave but stopped short.

"You'd be proud of him, Billy," Sam said. "He's been the fastest one to get back onto two legs yet."

"It must be the Alpha within him," Harry stated softly, while Sam nodded thoughtfully.

"He's agreed to train beside me until the time that he's ready to take the position. It'll take some time, but he'll get it soon enough. He's a natural."

While Sam walked back towards the treeline, Billy was certain that he saw movement behind it. Knowing that Jacob could quite possibly be hidden within the shadows, he smiled weakly.

"I am proud of you, Jacob," he said softly. "I love you, my boy."

Sam seemed to glance back over his shoulder before he darted into the woods, almost giving Billy the assurance that his son had heard the words he had spoken softly. It wasn't a lot, but it was enough.

* * *

True to his word, Harry had gotten back to Sam. He had not only seen Bella but had talked to her. She had made no mention to the Cullen's having visited her house but had only spoken about her concern for Jacob. Harry had done his best to assure her that it was just mono. He saw her face contort with the explanation.

"That doesn't make sense," Bella had told him, obviously familiar with the symptoms of mono, much to Harry's displeasure. He had only come to ensure that she was fine, not discuss Jacob's presumed condition that Billy had been telling people he had.

"Maybe we should get you tested then, Bells," Charlie teased her with a wink, knowing full well that mono could be transmitted by way of kissing.

Bella blushed before Charlie began talking to Harry about whether or not he was all packed up and ready to leave to go fishing. While Harry left the house under the presumption to check the truck to ensure everything was there, he quicky called Emily and relayed the message that Sam would have been waiting for. Later that evening, the news finally got back to Jacob.

"This is fucking bull shit, Sam! You can't keep me away from her when there are fucking Cullen's around her!"

Jacob seethed as he paced within the safe confines of the forest. It had been a long twenty four hours since Jacob had finally phased back and he wasn't impressed with Sam's Alpha order to keep him away from Bella. Although he knew that Bella was fine, the wolf within wasn't pleased to know that Cullen's were near her and he wasn't able to protect her from them. Sam stood as rigid and strong as he has ever been, his arms crossed authoritatively in front of him. Jared and Embry stood around while Paul snickered, seeming to enjoy watching the newest member of the pack about to blow his top once again.

"Feels good to get angry at the bastard, doesn't it?" Paul egged Jacob on with a smirk.

"Paul, cut the shit!" Sam exclaimed warningly with a growl. "If you cause him to phase again, you get to take his patrol rotation and babysit him until he's back on two legs."

"Fuck," Paul mumbled, knowing Sam's threat was legit. The last thing he wanted was to experience Jacob's overwhelming thoughts of Bella once again, as hot as it was to see short glimpses of her naked body through Jacob's mind. But it began to seem like it would be inevitable as he watched Jacob's form vibrate while Sam turned back to the angry shape shifter.

"Jake, you know why," Sam told him, his voice calm. "It isn't safe for her to be around you right now."

"Just give it a few more days," Embry added, happy to have his friend back in his life despite the new realities of their world.

Sam sighed and nodded.

"I'll lift the order once I can see that you can control your temper and your phasing. I don't like doing this to you."

"Like hell you don't," Jacob said with a snarl. "I know you had been watching me for months, waiting for your chance to order me around like one of your faithful puppy dogs there."

Jacob gestured to where Paul, Jared and Embry stood. While Embry felt dejected at the insult, Paul growled and Jared bared his teeth at him in warning.

"Easy!" He shouted at the pair, before looking back at Jacob, having more confidence in Paul and Jared to control themselves than Jacob right now.

Sam turned to Jacob, seeing as he seethed at him, his chest heaving in anger.

"Is this about Bella or about me ordering you around."

"Maybe a little of both," Jacob admitted bitterly. It was strange having Sam order him around, even before he told him that although he wasn't the first to phase, he was still destined to become the leader of the pack. Something burned within him whenever Sam would order him.

"Alpha is your birthright," Sam told him, "and like I told you before, I'll give it to you once you're ready and as for controlling your anger to see Bella, just give it time. You'll see her again."

Jared snorted. "I'd be careful though and not get your hopes up. She isn't Quileute. I don't think you'll imprint, Jake."

Imprinting was still a very strange concept to all of them. While Jared and Sam had already experienced it and the others had seen through their minds the overwhelming emotions associated with it, they still weren't certain what was the purpose behind it. While Sam liked the fact that Emily seemed to keep him emotionally grounded in the human world, for Jared, it was simply a physical need to be connected to someone intimately to remind him of who he was. His imprint, Kim, was completley receptive to it, having already having a crush on him for months prior. The elders simply believed that due to the nature of the imprints both having Quileute genes, that the purpose was for procreating.

Because of Bella's lack of Quileute genes, it was obvious that it was unlikely that Jacob would be imprinting on her and they all knew it.

"I'll take my chances," Jacob snapped.

"With a fuckin' leech lover?" Paul exclaimed with a chuckle. "I wouldn't take my chances on her." He laughed before he added. "Hey Jake! How does it feel to know you fucked a bloodsuckers reject?"

That did it.

Jacob's skin exploded as bones shifted and fur covered his body.

"Dammit! Paul!" Jared shouted, just as Paul phased, eager to take on Jacob's wolf. Jacob was slightly larger than Paul due to his heritage but that simply caused Paul to want to challenge him all the more.

Paul snapped at Jacob's neck, as he quickly turned at him, going for his legs.

Sam sighed.

So much for controlling his temper, he thought before he phased to join the pair and to put an end to their argument.

Both Jared and Embry watched on. With a smirk, Embry elbowed Jared.

"I've got $10 that Jake get's two good bites on him before Sam breaks it up."

Despite knowing that Jacob was fast, and his anger was propelling him to severely injure Paul, Jared wasn't about to back down.

Jared smiled and nodded. "You're on."


	5. Chapter 5

**_A/N - I am totally blown away by the number of people who have been reading these past four chapters. Honestly, it's a little intimidating and it puts the pressure on to ensure that I try my best to deliver a well written story. Based on what I've read in the reviews, I'm assuming I'm doing well so far..._**

 ** _I'd love to hear more about what my readers are thinking(productive criticism please). I enjoy reading the reviews...sometimes it gives me inspiration to add a scene or a situation based on how the readers are perceiving the story._**

 ** _Thanks so much!_**

* * *

Another day passed and Jacob still hadn't called. When Harry had given Bella the lame-assed excuse of mono for Jacob's illness, she had called the Black's house the moment Harry and Charlie had left to go fishing. To Bella's surprise, there was no answer. She later discovered from Harry that while Billy was most likely visiting with Old Quil Ateara as he usually did, Jacob was probably asleep. Harry stated that Jacob had been sleeping a lot lately, as part of his mono diagnosis. Still, a part of Bella wondered if Jacob was as sick as Billy and Harry had described. Harry simply encouraged her, just as Jacob had told her when he had last spoken to her almost 4 days ago to wait for him to call her.

She waited for another two days before she couldn't take it any longer.

There was no reason why Jacob couldn't just pick up a phone and talk to her. It was a slow afternoon at Newton's Outfitter's store when she called the house again.

The phone rang three times before she heard Billy's voice answer. Unfortunately, his tone seemed to change once he realized that it was Bella that he was talking to.

He sighed.

" _Uh, no, Jacob's not here,_ " Billy told her.

That surprised Bella. If Jacob was so sick, shouldn't he have been in bed?

" _Turns out that we were wrong and it wasn't mono after all,"_ he added. " _I think he's g_ _one up to Port Angeles with a bunch of buddies of his. They were talking about catching the double feature this afternoon and hang out there. Jake'll likely be home late."_

"Oh," Bella simply said, her voice sounding more than a little confused. "Well, could you let him know that I called?"

" _Sure thing, Bella."_

The phone line suddenly disconnected before she could even say goodbye. Something in Billy's tone made her disbelieve everything he had just told her.

As much as she wanted to drive over to La Push to find out for herself, that would have to wait until after her shift was over.

She spent the rest of the afternoon stocking shelves, and she had a lot of time to herself to think.

Too much time in fact.

Bella thought of the many phone calls she had made over the past week. It was beginning to feel as though Jacob was avoiding her for some reason. She completely understood that he had friends that he wanted to spend time with and she respected that, but at the same time, Bella would've appreciated a phone call just to let her know that he was doing better. She was worried about him, regardless of whether he was finally doing better. Something just didn't sit right with her.

At one point during the day, Mike decided to prop open the door out onto the sidewalk, bringing in some warm late spring air into the store. The sound of the passing traffic grew louder, as did some boisterous laughter coming from across the road.

When she heard it, Bella couldn't help but look out the front window. From where she stood, it was obvious that they were a group of Quileute boys walking down the sidewalk across the road. Having seen one that looks familiar, Bella moved around the displays to get a better look out the front window.

There he was - Sam Uley.

Bella held back a scoff as she watched the man as he was flanked on all sides by other boys of similar stature. She easily picked out Embry as he followed right behind Sam while the boy walking beside him suddenly caught her attention. There was something familiar about him. She couldn't see his entire face but the way he walked reminded her so much of Jacob that she felt her heart quicken.

 _It couldn't be_.

Bella found herself leaning further into the window display to get a better look when she felt someone tap her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, miss?"

An older gentleman, wearing a bright yellow rain jacket smiled politely at her, two fishing reels in his hand.

"I'm wanting to buy a new spinning reel. I was hoping you could help me figure out the difference between these two."

"Sure," she told him, taking a quick glance back out the window to see that Sam Uley and his gang had already disappeared around a corner near the intersection.

For the rest of the afternoon, her mind couldn't help but wonder if that really was Jacob Black that she had seen with Embry, following behind Sam Uley. Surely it couldn't be; he had been so adamant about not being sucked into his cult. Still, Bella had to find out what was going on.

Bella had found that she starting to really miss Jacob; not just his company but hearing his voice, his laughter, his eyes as they seemed to swallow her, his smile...everything.

When her shift ended, rather than heading home, she went to La Push. Bella wasn't exactly certain where she was going, as it seemed that she wouldn't be getting any solid information on Jacob out of Billy.

As she drove along, her breath suddenly hitched when she saw a boy with a baseball cap sitting on a bench in front of the general store. For a moment, she wondered if she had found Jacob but soon discovered that this boy was a bit more stalkier and his hair was much shorter than Jacob's. As she approached, she recongized him as Quil, although he had gotten bigger since the last time she had seen him.

Bella slowed down and pulled up in front of the store.

Quil seemed to be deep in thought, his elbows resting on his knees as she climbed out of the truck and walked up to him.

"Hey Quil."

He looked up, surprised to see her, although his expression was bleak and his forehead was creased with worry.

"You okay?"

"Oh, hi Bella. Yeah I'm...I'm doing all right. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I've come to see Jacob."

A dark smirk appeared on Quil's face as he scoffed.

"Good luck with that."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw him today, from a distance. He ignored me...like he couldn't give me the time of day."

Bella paused, sitting down on the bench beside Quil. He slid over slightly, offering her more space.

"I thought...I mean, wasn't he supposed to be sick?"

Quil sighed. "If he was, he certainly isn't anymore. He looked fit as a fiddle. Better than that, actually. The guy is buff; like Embry and the other's in Sam's damned cult."

Bella felt her heart skip. She was hoping that she had been wrong about what she had seen in town.

"Sam Uley? You saw him with Sam Uley?"

Quil nodded.

"I tried to follow Jake earlier - I saw him with Embry," he replied. "I know they saw me. They just disappeared into the trees. They weren't alone either. Sam and his crew were with them. I was stumbling around in the woods for an hour, calling for Jake and Em before I finally found the road and walked back home."

Bella digested what Quil had just told her.

"So, Sam did get to him."

Quil stared at her. "You know about that?"

"Yeah, Jake told me before..."

"Before," Quil sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Now, he's as bad the others. Following Sam around like a puppy dog. Makes me wonder if it's drugs or something. But I really doubt it. I don't think it's something that Jake would get into. His Dad, my grandpa - the elders wouldn't all be thinking that Sam Uley was the best thing that happened to the Rez if drugs were involved. Sam could shit rainbows and they wouldn't even bat an eye." He paused and snorted. "It's crazy how everyone seems to forget about what he did to Leah Clearwater."

Leah Clearwater. Bella remembered that name and recalled knowing her when she was younger. Leah was a few years older and kept to herself, but from what she remembered, she was a nice girl.

"That's Harry's daughter, right?"

Quil nodded, glancing around them, ensuring that no one would be nearby to listen. It was public knowledge on the Rez but it wasn't something that was shared with people outside of La Push.

"Sam was going out with Leah for a while, then all of a sudden, her cousin Emily comes to visit and bam! They break up and Sam hooks up with Emily, like the very next day. That was less than a year ago and now he's engaged to her. It's fucking crazy! Yet no one thinks any less of him. It's like..."

Quil paused as his eyes zeroed in on a truck pulling up in front of the store beside Bella's pickup. His eyes darkened slightly as he took in the figures in the front seat. Quil sighed and looked concerningly at Bella before he quickly stood up.

"I have to get inside and get back to work," he told her softly, glancing over at the truck as it came to a stop. "I'll catch you later, Bella."

Bella nodded, suddenly wondering why Quil felt the need to up and leave. When she saw the occupants climb out of the truck, she understood.

Sam Uley stared at her before glancing at the closing door that Quil had just darted through. Bella didn't even notice that the other truck occupant had walked up to her until he was standing over her where she sat, casting a shadow over her.

"So, you're Bella Swan."

Bella looked up at Paul Lahote, feeling his eyes as they seemed to scan her entire body. He stood extremely close and she couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved by not just his size but the way he looked at her. His eyes were dark. Paul took a long, deep breath and smiled as he exhaled.

"Jake was right. You are hot."

"Paul!" Sam snapped, instantly causing Paul to turn his head towards him. Sam didn't say another word but Paul glanced once more down at her and winked before he headed into the store.

With a sigh, Sam walked over to her calmly. He knew why she was in La Push and for both her and Jacob's sake, he had to get her to leave before Jacob knew she was on the Rez. Although Jacob had gotten much better at controlling his anger, Sam didn't want to take any unnecessary risks when it came to people that Jacob was closest to.

Sam watched as she stood up, still nearly a foot shorter than he was, but it was the pent up anger that he saw in her face as she glared at him that made her seem taller.

"What did you do to Jacob?"

The words and the accusatory tone dripping off of them fell out of Bella's mouth as soon as Paul had disappeared into the store.

Sam sighed and took a deep breath before looking into her eyes.

"I didn't do anything to him," he replied. "Jacob is fine."

"Then let him go," Bella begged. "You don't need him."

 _Let him go?_

Sam knew of the rumours that Jacob had told her prior to his phasing. Jacob had believed just as Embry had, that he would have sucked him into his cult somehow. It was no wonder that Bella was so livid. She didn't know the truth and could never know the truth.

"It has nothing to do with what I need," Sam told her, shaking his head. "It's what Jacob needs right now."

"What Jacob needs? He doesn't need to be a part of some strange cult that forces him to ostracize everyone he cares about."

Again, Sam took a deep breath, and set his jaw. He wasn't going to let her unfound anger cause his own to flare.

"You can't understand."

"Then, help me to understand!"

"I can't. It would be best if you just went home and waited for Jacob to call you rather than coming out here."

Bella snorted.

"Don't give me that bull shit, Sam! It's been nearly a week. I know enough to know that you'll never loosen his leash long enough for him to call me. I want Jacob back!"

He could see the angry tears in her eyes, the desperation within them. Sam could also see how much she cared for Jacob as she spoke, the same love that he knew Jacob shared for her. He didn't want to do this to her; to either of them.

"I'm sorry, Bella," he told her weakly. "I know that this is hard to understand but being apart from him is what is best for both you and Jacob."

"Don't you fucking dare tell me that this is something that is good for me!" she shouted, her hands clenched in anger at her sides. "You don't know me!"

Sam took a deep breath, finding that he was really needing to calm himself down and he also needed to end the conversation quickly.

"I know you more than you think," Sam said ominously, his tone dropping, as a deep menacing growl came up from his chest. "Go. Home."

The sudden ringing of the opening store door caused Sam to turn towards it to see Paul walking out towards him. He was chewing on a pepperette and carried a full paper bag of food on his shoulder. While Paul glanced amusingly from Bella to Sam, Bella's eyes still stared at Sam, an expression of shock and fear glazed over them as he walked away from her.

Paul chuckled once they were both seated inside the confines of the pickup.

"Damn," he said in awe, looking at Bella as she slowly made her way to her truck. "The leech lover nearly caused the great Sam Uley to go wolf."

"Shut up, Paul," Sam grumbled, quickly backing the pickup back onto the road, the tires shooting rocks behind it as it peeled away.

Bella climbed back into her truck, a mixture of confusion and fear settled within her. She was all the more convinced that something was wrong with Jacob. After hearing Quil's account of what had happened that day and her conversation with Sam, she knew without a doubt that she had to get Jacob away from La Push. Knowing that she wouldn't have any luck tracking him down with the remaining amount of daylight, Bella took Sam's suggestion and went home.

* * *

"What did she say? How did she seem?"

Sam had been playing twenty questions with Jacob since he and Paul had returned back to Emily's house. While Jacob was upset to know that Bella had been in La Push and he hadn't had the chance to see her, his anger melted quicker than Sam had expected. Instead, he flooded Sam with questions.

"She was concerned for you," he said, sitting at the table, feeling Emily's hands on his shoulders. "And frustrated about everything."

"I can relate to that," Jacob mumbled, taking a muffin from the plate on Emily's table. He glanced over at Paul as he chewed. "Did the asshole here say anything to her?"

"Hey!" Paul exclaimed, feigning offence, before he smirked. "I was a perfect gentleman. I love the smell she gives off when she's feeling intimidated."

Jacob glared at Paul, growled and bared his teeth at him.

"Jake! Don't worry. Paul didn't touch her," Sam assured him. "And I told her to wait for you to call before coming back to La Push."

Jacob snorted, turning his attention back to Sam. "And when the hell is that going to be?"

"Soon."

"That's bull shit!" He exclaimed. Jacob pounded his hands on the table, causing Emily to gasp. Knowing that Jacob frightened his imprint, Sam quickly stood up, keeping Emily protected behid him.

"Outside!" Sam shouted.

Jacob looked disgruntly at Sam before stalking his way out the door, the muscle beneath his skin on his back tremoring as he walked. He pushed open the screen door, allowing it to slam behind him. Paul simply chuckled, taking another bite of his muffin.

Emily watched wearily as Jacob left the house. She squeezed Sam's hand.

"Sam, it's fine," she told him softly.

"No, it's not. I will not let him loose his temper around you. He needs to learn to control it if he ever wants to see Bella again."

"Maybe it's her that he needs," Emily suggested, brushing her hand soothingly up his arm. "To calm the beast within."

Sam sighed, knowing what she was implying; Bella could be his imprint.

"She's not Quileute."

"The girl is as pale as a bloodsucker," Paul added, his mouth full of muffin.

Emily smiled weakly.

"You don't know what fate has in store for him, for any of them," she told Sam.

"I'm just trying to protect him."

Emily reached up and put her hands on his face. She knew what he had gone through following his breakup with Leah. As much as Sam loved her, Emily knew that he was still upset with himself for hurting Leah. Leah hadn't deserved what happened to her and now their relationship with her cousin would never be the same. The last thing that Sam wanted was to see any of his brother's experience the same pain.

"He knows that," she told him. "But you have something he doesn't. Me."

Sam nodded before heading outside. He expected to have to phase in order to track down Jacob but to his surprise, he was standing on his driveway, his hands on the back of his head as he looked up at the stars above them.

Sensing Sam had come out to join him, Jacob spoke.

"Tell Emily that I'm sorry."

"You can tell her yourself."

Jacob shook his head. "I will later. I'm going to start my patrol early and go for a run; get some fresh air and clear my head."

Sam nodded. "See if Jared and Embry have had any luck tracking the leech that killed those hikers a few days ago. While you're out, pull your perimeter out into Forks by the Swan's place."

Jacob quickly turned, surprised to hear Sam give him the particular direction. The mystery of the dead hikers just north of Forks had kept them occupied for quite some time and with the Cullen's presence nearby, they had to keep their distance from Forks.

"What?"

"Until we know what's going on with the Cullen's being here, we're reinstating our patrols near Forks and that includes Bella's house."

"You're lifting my Alpha order?"

Sam winced. "Not entirely. Just loosening it a bit. You aren't to approach Bella, or speak to her and you're to stay within the forest. Understood?"

Even though he felt the weight of that new order on him, a broad smile appeared on Jacob's face. He nodded.

Sam hadn't seen him such an exuberant smile on Jacob's face since before the kid had phased.

Jacob quickly slipped his shoes off and kicked them towards Sam before tugging his shirt over his head, throwing it towards Sam who caught it in the air. Sam anticipated having to watch Jacob strip in his front yard, but to his surprise Jacob began to sprint towards the woods and with a leap, he phased mid-air, his cut offs shredding instantly, leaving the fabric flittering to the ground. Sam could only shake his head and marvel at what Jacob was capable of. Phasing on the fly was still new, even to him and took a considerable amount of practice.

Sam walked out and began to pick up the pieces of denim off the ground. When he turned to return back to the house, Emily was waiting for him on the porch, smiling.

"Tell me that I just did the right thing," he pleaded, coming up in front of her.

Emily simply smiled and kissed him.

* * *

Once again, Charlie was working late.

The bear sightings had become more wide spread over the past few days. He also had a case of missing hikers that kept the station busy.

Because of everything going on, Bella wasn't expecting Charlie to be home until late; at least nine at night. She kept herself busy, listening to the radio as she made a late supper. Her day had been emotionally draining and she found that she needed to unwind.

Reaching up on her tiptoes, she turned on the music on the radio above the fridge and soon found herself humming along with an old 80's tune. She forgot how much she loved music and wondered why she even considered avoiding listening to music in the first place.

 _Edward,_ her mind quickly reminded her.

But Edward was never the source of her love of music. She had loved music long before she met him.

With a smirk, she reached up and turned it up louder before she went to empty the garbage outside. The music was loud as she made her way out the back door and went around the side of the house to the garbage cans lined up along the wall behind the garage.

Bella mumbled the lines of the song that she could hear playing inside as she pulled open the garbage can lid and tossed the bag into it. As she turned to head back inside, her eyes glanced at the treeline and she froze. Bella was certain that she had seen a flash of colour breeze pass the trees.

Pausing, Bella watched and listened, her heart beat faster and louder. A sudden wave of chills raced down her back before she quickly turned to head back to the house.

She came around the corner to race up the steps to the back porch when she saw him, standing between herself and the door.

Laurent

"Bella," he said sweetly as he slowly sauntered down the steps towards her. "I was hoping to catch you here."

The way he said it, caused a unsettled feeling to rest in her stomach.

Bella smiled, although it was a bit ridiculous to be elated to have a vampire in her yard that had at one time been a part of a coven that tried to kill her.

"Well, I do live here. I thought you had gone to Alaska."

He stopped a few feet in front of her, and cocked his head to the side.

"I did," he told her. "Their lifestyle just didn't agree with me."

Bella suddenly noticed his blood red eyes in the darkness and felt an ominous feeling wash over her. Still, she did her best to convey pleasantries.

"Then, what are you doing here?"

He sighed unnecessarily and looked out towards the trees.

"Just visiting. I went out to the Cullen's place and it looks like someone has been there recently but I found the house to be vacant. It appears they have moved on."

Laurent waited with curious eyes.

"They have," she confirmed. "But Alice, she's was here recently, visiting like you."

"But only Alice?"

Bella nodded.

"I'm surprised that they left you behind. Weren't you some sort of...pet of theirs?"

Bella winced at the unintended insult. Still, she smiled.

"Something like that."

"Do the others...visit often?"

The way he spoke caused a fear to rise up within Bella. She felt the need to lie, despite the assurance that Edward told her that they'd never return.

"Now and again," she said lightly. "I'll mention to Carlisle that you stopped by. He'll be sorry that he missed your visit." She paused for a moment, deciding it was probably best to throw in a couple more lies. "But, I probably shouldn't say anything to Edward...he's got quite a temper, as you know. He wouldn't be happy to hear that you were here, inquiring about them. He's still touchy about the James thing."

"Is he now?" Laurent asked, skeptically.

Bella simply nodded, afraid that any answer she gave would give away her bluff.

"It's a shame they're gone," he said with a sigh. "I came here as a favour to Victoria and I was anticipating having to return to her with news that you were still under their protection."

"Victoria?" Bella breathed.

Laurent nodded before he sighed once again.

"She wont be happy about this."

"About what?" Bella asked, eager to keep him talking and hopefully distract him somehow, long enough for her to do...something. What? She didn't know.

"About me killing you," he breathed in a seductive purr.

Bella took an instinctive step back, her heart racing in her chest. She thought about running but realized that it wouldn't do a thing. Laurent would get her before she even turned.

"You see, she wanted to save that part for herself," he added. "She figures it's ony fair since Edward killed her mate, that she should kill his."

Bella shook her head. "But I'm...I'm not Edward's mate."

Jacob's face suddenly came to her mind; his smile, his eyes, his warmth.

Laurent shrugged. "Irregardless, I'm going to have to kill you. I'll make it quick, I promise. Victoria wants to kill you slowly, painfully. You'll be thanking me for this."

Bella stared at him in horror, her hands shaking in fear. She watched as Laurent inhaled and hummed at the sweet scent that wafted his way in the wind.

As he slowly stalked closer towards her, Bella breathed the only name of the person she wanted to see once more before she'd die.

"I love you, Jake," she whispered with her eyes closed, her heart pounding loudly in her ears as the words slipped easily from her mouth.

Seconds passed as Bella waited for the swift agony that Laurent promised...


	6. Chapter 6

For the briefest of moments, Bella considered pleading to Laurent to change her rather than kill her. As much as she had wanted that just a few short months ago, just so she could spend an eternity with Edward, she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle living apart from Jacob's warmth for the rest of her existence. If they'd one day be reunited in death, so be it.

With her eyes tightly closed, Bella sucked in a breath, hoping for it to all be over quickly. What she wasn't anticipating was a cold breeze whipping past her body just as she was shoved back through the air. Bella gasped, the wind being knocked out of her as she landed hard on her back, on the grass. It took her few seconds to realize that 1, she was alive and 2, she was laying on her back lawn and that Laurent was gone.

The music from inside the house continued to play as Bella pushed herself up on her elbows, her fearful and confused eyes darting around in confusion.

 _What the hell just happened?_

As though appearing from thin air, a hand was suddenly extended towards her, startling her.

Bella's eyes looked from the hand and then up at the face; a face that she once regarded as the most beautiful view she had ever seen. But now it incited resentment and anger within her.

Amber eyes met her brown ones as he smiled down at her.

Edward.

"Don't worry. He's gone," he assured her, looking out at the trees where Laurent had disappeared. "Alice has gone after him."

Still, Bella hesitated for another few seconds before finally taking his cold hand, flinching slightly at the touch.

As Edward pulled her to her feet, he saw her reaction to his touch and quickly scanned her body to ensure that she was okay. He watched as she rubbed her hands together and took a step away from him.

"Are you hurt? Let me help you."

Bella stared at him, hearing that velvet voice once again that she was promised she'd never hear for the rest of her life. She couldn't believe that he was here, after everything he had promised about her never seeing him again. For that reason and many more, Bella just couldn't bring herself to trust his word; not anymore. As enticing as it was to hear him, to be near him...to smell him, all she wanted to do was run to La Push and beg Sam to tell her where Jacob was. If anything, seeing Edward and being nearly killed by a vampire confirmed something within her; she loved Jacob and couldn't live her life without him.

With that revelation in mind, Bella took another step back from him as he went to move closer to ensure she was all right.

"Stay the hell away from me."

"Bella, love," he said, worry etched on his beautiful face as he held out his hand towards her. "It's okay. You're safe. I would never hurt you."

She couldn't help but scoff at the irony of his words.

Within a blink of an eye, Alice suddenly appeared at Edward's side. Bella was shocked that Alice stuck around even after she threw her out of her house a few days prior. While she had been upset with the pixie for being so persistent in convincing her to stay away from Jacob, she was glad that Alice had stuck around. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be dead if she hadn't.

"Laurent is gone."

"Gone?"

Alice nodded. "I lost his trail a few kilometres east of here. I was going to track him but I wanted to know if Bella was all right."

As both eyes looked to Bella, she felt the colour drain from her face with the meaning behind Alice's words. Laurent was still out there and was no doubt going back to report to Victoria that the Cullen's had left her unprotected. Victoria would be coming.

Bella suddenly became light headed as her stomach lurched.

"Bella?"

As Edward was about to put his hand on her shoulder, Bella suddenly turned and ran for the bushes beside the house before she puked. A wave of nausea overwhelmed her with the thought that Victoria would be coming for her. And no one around her would be safe; Charlie. He would ultimately be a casualty of her past stupidity. And then there was Jacob - he couldn't know the truth and he, like Charlie would be defenceless. Unfortunately, the law enforcement would be useless against a vampire. Nothing would stand in Victoria's way.

"Bella, love?" Edward spoke gently, his cool hand resting on her back as she leaned over, her hands on her knees. "I think it would be best if Alice and I get you out of here. I'll call the rest of the family and let them know that Victoria has made her move. They'll start searching for her while we get you into hiding."

Alice nodded in agreement "With all of us searching, it shouldn't take too long to track her down." She paused and looked at Bella sympathetically, as she had yet to respond. "I can pack your bags, if you'd like."

Finally Bella sighed and shook her head. She couldn't do this to her Dad. He had stayed by her side for months while she had endured nightmares each ight and behaved catatonically by day. Despite everything that the pair had gone through, she came to realize how much Charlie really cared for her and how much she had come to love him for everything he had done for her.

"There has to be another way. I can't just leave Forks. I can't do that to my Dad again."

Alice looked to Edward in concern before he spoke.

"Love, it isn't safe here for you. I can keep you safe."

Angry tears filled Bella's eyes as she thought of Charlie, of Jacob. She was frustrated that while her concern was on her father, Edward didn't even acknowledge that fact. She pushed herself up to stand upright.

"There are...people here...Charlie. I can't, I wont just take off on him. And I have close friends, people who I care about...that I love who are here."

"It's Jacob, isn't it?"

Bella paused and looked to Alice.

"Yeah, Alice told me," Edward said, answering her silent question.

"Listen Bella, Victoria will kill anyone who is close to you in order to get to you; Charlie...even Jacob. She'll kill them without a second thought. By leaving, you are protecting them. Victoria wont come here. She'll be searching for you and ignore them. It should only be a week or so and then you'll be able to come home."

Bella swallowed, thinking about what Edward had told her. He was right as much as she hated to admit it. She could protect them this way.

"Can you promise me that they'll be safe?" She asked, looking fiercely at Alice. If she was going to leave, she needed that assurance. "Can you see their futures? I need to know that they'll be safe if I leave."

Alice paused for a moment, looking as though she were getting a vision and then she nodded. Surprised, Edward looked into Alice's mind, seeing that while she could only verify that Charlie's future existed, Jacob's, like Bella's, had completely disappeared. But neither Alice or Edward were about to tell Bella that it could mean that he wasn't going to live for much longer, not when they were so close to getting Bella to leave Forks willingly.

Everything was going according to plan.

Bella sighed.

"Fine," she said solemnly, wiping a few betraying tears. "Just give me a few minutes."

"I can help pack," Alice said, hopefully.

"No," Bella retorted sharply. "I'll do it myself."

While a part of her was regretting being so short tempered with Alice, because after all, she did save her life, Bella was frustrated that she was once again entangled within a life that she thought she had left behind when the Cullen's left. Bella had finally moved on and was happy with her life. She had so many plans; to search out Jacob and remind him of what he had told her about Sam's gang and get him out of it, to stage an intervention if she needed to and be there for him.

As she walked into her bedroom, all those plans seemed to go down the toilet.

Bella grabbed a duffle bag and began shoving clothing into it. She wasn't entirely certain what she was grabbing. Every so often, she'd wipe away at the bitter tears that fell down her face. But she paused when she saw the framed picture of herself and Jacob as children, sitting on the beach and covered in sand, Jacob's Mom and both their fathers standing in the background with beers in hand. The small dream catcher that Jacob had given her hung over one corner of the frame. A small smile graced her face as she reached out and picked them both up. Bella ran her fingers lightly over the intricate beads along the thin weaved fibres of the dream catcher as she looked at Jacob's smiling face in the photo. He had to be no more than eight years old, the summer before Sarah Black passed away.

Gently, she placed both the frame and the dream catcher between her shirts in her bag to keep them safe before she grabbed a piece of paper off of her desk.

With her eyes clouded with tears, she quickly scribbled a note.

\- _**Dad,**_

 _ **Some old friends stopped by and I'm taking a quick road trip with them into the mountains. I'll be back within a week. I'll call when i get a chance. Could you pass along my note to Jake for me? Thanks**_

 _ **Supper is in the fridge.**_

 _ **Love you!**_

 _ **\- Bella**_

She grabbed a second piece of paper and wrote another similar note.

- _ **Jake,**_

 _ **I'm sorry for taking off like this. But some old friends stopped by and I went for a quick road trip with them. Be back soon. I'll call you in a few days. Please pick up this time. I need to hear your voice.**_

 _ **I love you so much**_

 _ **\- Your Bells**_

Both were short and to the point without saying too much about the situation she was thrown into. She folded them up, grabbed her bag and rushed down the stairs.

"Ready to go?" Alice asked, hopeful.

Bella nodded, holding up the notes in her hand.

"Just have to leave these for Dad and Jake," she said, tacking them to the cork board. "I don't want them worrying about me."

Alice pursed her lips while Edward approached Bella. He reached out to take the duffle bag in her hand. Instead, Bella held it back from him, insisting that she can carry it herself. Edward met Alice's gaze before she turned to Bella.

"You're going to need your passport."

"What? We're leaving the country?!"

This wasn't what Bella had in mind when she thought of leaving Forks.

"Our path will take us through Canada." Edward paused. "It's for your safety."

Bella harrumphed, passing her bag to Edward before turning to head back up the steps.

"She's changed," Edward commented softly, listening as Bella made her way upstairs.

"I told you," Alice said, moving quickly to where the notes that Bella had tacked up on the cork board. "I'm certain her association with Jacob Black has been causing her erratic and hostile behaviour. It shouldn't take long to get her back to normal after a few days in our company. She'll remember just how much she was in love with you."

"You're only giving us a week," he said, certainly not feeling as optimistic as Alice. "That's not a lot of time."

"It'll be enough. I can guarantee that she wont want to return to her...mutt."

"She doesn't know about him," Edward stated.

"No," Alice said. "And it's best that we keep it that way."

With the speed that only Edward could follow, he watched as Alice swapped out the note that Bella had left for Jacob and replaced it with one of her own.

"Alice?"

She smiled sweetly, pocketing the note Bella wrote. "Just covering our tracks just a little bit better. We don't want that dog following us."

The thumping of Bella's footsteps coming down the stairs caused Alice to go back to where she had been standing prior. Bella appeared with her purse and proclaimed that she was ready to go.

With a nod from Edward, Alice walked out the front door, while Bella and Edward followed.

"I'm hoping that I'm doing the right thing," Bella said, turning to lock the door. "I really hate leaving Charlie like this."

"We'll keep you safe," Edward reminded her, leaning protectively over Bella as she turned the key.

"We have to go now!" Alice called out, from the front passenger seat of Carlisle's Mercedes.

Without saying a word, Bella went to the back door and climbed in. She looked back at her house as Edward started up the engine and drove away, the only thing keeping her in the seat was reminding herself that it was only for a week.

* * *

Jacob ran through the forest, his mind focused solely on Bella. Images of her face, her smile, her laughter and the feeling of her hand on his skin were brought to mind. Despite the fact that he knew the rest of the phased wolves wouldn't appreciate his sudden onslaught of thoughts on Bella, Embry was happy. Jacob could sense Embry's elation to realize that Jacob was finally in a good mood for once. It wasn't a secret that Embry had missed his friend's contagious good nature. Even Jared seemed relieved to no longer have to endure hearing Jacob sulk in his head.

' _Dude, I getcha_ ,' Jared thought, sharing an image of himself holding hands with Kim. ' _I'd be livid if Sam kept me from seeing Kim. But you gotta know he was doing it to protect you.'_

Jacob rolled his eyes at the thought. As much as he had despised Sam before and then for a period after he had phased, he had to admit that he was a pretty decent guy. Sam had certainly helped him phase back and had given him a lot of support in dealing with his anger. As much as he hated the guy sometimes, Jacob considered him to a friend; even a brother now that they had this wolf thing in common.

' _But you still can't go near her,_ ' Embry reminded him. ' _Sam has you staying in the woods.'_

Jacob relayed his ideas of how he'd slink near the edge of the forest, close enough to possibly see her through the windows as she moved about. He even mused about the possibility of catching her scent in the air.

Embry chuckled in his mind.

' _You're so whipped! Are you sure you haven't imprinted?!'_

Just as the thought passed by, it was suddenly replaced with an urgency from Jared. It was so loud that he practically screamed it into their minds.

 _ **Leech on our land**_

Jacob turned from where he was running and headed in Jared's direction, seeing the vampire in his minds-eye. A olive skinned man with long black dreads on his head.

 _'Is it a Cullen?'_

' _Who the hell cares?! It's on our land. Kill it!'_

Embry paused in his chase towards Jared and put his nose to the sky, howling loudly to alert Sam and Paul. A second later, he took off once again, seeing Jacob race up beside him. Seeing them coming at him from the side, Laurent shifted direction, heading towards the ocean.

' _He's going to try to get away!_ ' Jared shouted in their minds just as Paul and Sam both phased in.

Seeing in the others' mind where it was heading, Paul and Sam took off in that direction, determined to block its escape. If it was on their land, it wasn't going to leave alive.

Sensing that it was at an impasse, Laurent suddenly came to a stop and took a defensive position, glancing ahead and behind him to find that he was surrounded. He was determined to not go without a fight. Jumping out of the way as Jared darted at him, he landed on the ground just as Embry grabbed ahold of his leg from behind, dragging him towards Sam and Paul.

Laurent screamed.

With the flick of Embry's neck, he tossed it towards the pair, Sam biting it by the head while Paul took the torso, ripping it apart.

' _And that's how it's done, boys,_ ' Paul joked through their minds, spitting the Laurent's body onto the ground.

Sam rolled his eyes as he quickly phased back onto two legs, pulling a lighter from the bundle wrapped around his ankle.

"Make yourself useful and double back to see where this son of a bitch came from," Sam said to Paul. "I don't think it's a Cullen but we need to be sure."

Paul snickered before he took off running through the woods. Sam gestured to the others to phase back and help him gather the pieces with their hands. Despite it taking longer, it ensured that every piece of the vampire was collected off the forest floor. Sam flicked the lighter and tossed it into the growing pile, the pieces instantly set ablaze.

"I don't recall hearing about any of the Cullen's having dreads," Jared commented with a wince, dropping Laurent's head into the burning pile. He looked over at Jacob. "I'm sure Bella would know."

"Shut up," Jacob growled.

Jared put up his hands, meaning no offence to the comment.

"Man, I'm just saying, if we asked her, she'd know if this was a Cullen."

"We can't ask her, and you know why," Sam stated. "Now, let's drop this topic."

A sudden thunderous pounding of Paul's wolf quickly heading their way caught all of their attention. Sam looked towards the woods where he had ran and seemed to be returning from.

"Something is wrong."

Paul burst into the clearing where they stood, his wolf panting and growling before the air around him shimmered, leaving Paul on two feet. He was talking the moment his vocal cords allowed him.

"It came from the Swan's place," he gasped, fear in his eyes as he looked directly to Jacob. "But I couldn't see either Bella or Charlie."

Sam's attention was instantly on Jacob, seeing the colour drain from the young man's face. Before he could say a word, Jacob was sprinting into the woods, phasing as he moved. With a quick and worried nod, Sam and the others followed.

Images of a bleeding and dying Bella raced through Jacob's mind as he ran through the woods, darting around trees and jumping over brush. He could almost hear her screams as he envisioned her being mauled to death by the vampire they had just destroyed.

' _Jake, we don't know if that's true_!' Sam shouted. ' _You need to focus_.'

Jacob ignored him, slowing down as he approached the treeline behind her house. He phased, ignoring his nudity as he raced up to the property. Suddenly, he came to a instant halt. Sam's Alpha order that told him to stay to the forest around Bella's house held him firmly in place from going any further. With his hands clenched at his sides, Jacob panted and growled, his chest heaving as both fear and anger flowed through him as his body threatened to phase back onto all fours. The other wolves came to a stop beside him, their noses sniffing the air as the area was permeated with the scent of vampires.

"Sam, you can't hold me here!" Jacob exclaimed quietly up at the black wolf standing to his side. "Drop the order! Please."

Sam's wolf looked out at the house, seeing that it was quiet and that the only vehicle in the driveway was Bella's truck. He looked to Embry and Jared before the air around himself and Paul shimmered, leaving them standing beside Jacob at eye level.

"You've got point," Sam told him, as Jacob could feel the Alpha order no longer holding him back. "Paul and I have your back."

Jacob didn't need to be told again. He ran to the back porch, with Paul and Sam at his heels while Embry and Jared took off running through the woods to do a quick perimeter check around the property. All of them were praying that if something horrible had happened to either Bella or Charlie, that Jacob wouldn't be the one to discover it.

Stepping up onto the back porch, Jacob paused, sniffing the air and lightly touching the door. His heart was beating in his chest as his hands trembled turning the door knob to find that it was locked.

"There was more than one here," Sam commented, breathing deeply, keeping his anger in check while looking at the windows around them, anticipating a sneak attack. "The one we killed and for sure two more leeches."

Quickly, Jacob reached above the door trim and found a spare key that he knew Charlie always left for emergencies. He opened the door and nearly took a step back at the overwhelming pungeant stink that wafted through the house.

"Holy shit. That's nasty," Paul cursed, wrinkling his nose as he covered his mouth to stiffle a gag. He was determined to not throw up in front of Jacob or Sam.

Jacob took a step into the house, ignoring the urge to phase given the recent presence of a vampire inside. Slowly, he moved down the hallway, listening. The kitchen was empty as was the living room. Pausing, he looked up the stairs and with a silent nod towards Paul, the pair slowly made their way into the bedrooms. Both were empty but it was Bella's room that caused him to pause. Her drawers were partially open as was the closet.

A part of him was relieved to know that she wasn't there, but at the same time, he was still worried about where she could possibly be. Could she be hurt? Lost?

Paul put his hand on Jacob's shoulder, the first brotherly gesture he had ever gotten from him. As much as Paul teased and made Jacob's life a living hell, he really did care about him. They were in this freaky life together, whether either of them liked it or not and it was nice to have someone who could relate to the strange things that went on in their lives.

"She's around here somewhere," Paul encouraged. "We'll find her."

Sam ran up the stairs and came up behind them.

"Hey guys, we need to extend the perimeter into Forks," Sam said.

Jacob didn't move. He just stared at the bedroom.

"Sure, we'll be right down," Paul said, answering for Jacob.

Again, Paul clapped Jacob on the shoulder.

"Come on, man," he said. "Let's go. We'll find her."

Reluctantly, Jacob closed her door and followed Paul out of the house.

* * *

Edward looked in the rear view mirror to check on Bella just as they left Seattle city limits, heading east towards Spokane, Washington. He didn't know if she had fallen asleep or if she was simply not speaking. But based on how she was leaning against the window, he guessed that she was sleeping.

In the time that they had left Forks, Bella hadn't spoken much to start with. She would only speak when either Alice or Edward would ask her something and even then, it was usually just a one word answer. Edward knew that Bella was naturally quiet, but her silence worried him.

"Bella's fallen asleep," Edward told Alice beside him. She was looking down at her cell phone, frustration evident on her face.

"Have you had any luck?"

She shook her head.

"Laurent was supposed to call us hours ago after he got out of Washington. Irina hasn't heard from him either. She's worried."

"You did tell him to avoid La Push."

"Of course I did," Alice said, slightly insulted that she would neglect to tell Laurent to avoid certain area of land after he was kind enough to help them.

"Then, perhaps he's just delayed," Edward suggested as he looked out at the dark interstate ahead of them. "I would like to offer my thanks for his assistance."

A small smirk appeared on Alice's face.

"I told Laurent to scare her, not freak her out to the point that she threw up. Bringing up Victoria was genious though. He really hit it out of the ballpark with that little bit."

When Edward didn't concur, Alice looked over at him, concerned.

"What is it? Something bothering you?"

"I read his mind while he spoke with Bella. It was hard to tell that he was deceiving her. Laurent is either a very good lier or he really has been in contact recently with Victoria. And if that's true, then he certainly could have told her about our special abilities along with our plan to get Bella out of Forks."

Alice scoffed and chuckled.

"Come on, Edward. You're just being paranoid. Irina trusts him."

"Irina is a hopeless romantic," Edward countered. "She'd believe anything someone says to her as long as she has them between her legs."

Alice sighed.

"So you're really thinking that he was doing a favour to Victoria by coming to check on Bella."

"Anything's possible."

"But Laurent's declared his loyalty to the Denali coven. Irina insists that he's striving to live a peaceful lifestyle among humans."

Edward looked over at her and snorted incredulously.

"Did you see his red eyes?" He shook his head. "He's not succeeding in that endeavour."

"You are one to talk," Alice shot back. "Should I mention those rebellious years of yours?"

"I'm just saying that we can't trust him," Edward stated firmly. "This wouldn't be the first time that he's turned his back on a coven for the good of himself."

To that, Alice couldn't argue, remembering the surprise when he appeared on their doorstep last year, eager to tell them about James and his obsessive tracking nature.

Edward sighed, seeing the images of that memory in Alice's head. It wasn't an event that he wanted to experience again.

"Once I get Bella to safety, I'll head back to Washington to ensure that Victoria didn't follow us."

Alice shrugged. "And you're going to be wasting a lot of time that you could be spending with Bella, winning her back."

"If I can keep her safe from Victoria and the wolves, it'll be worth it."

* * *

 ** _A/N_**

 ** _Sorry for the delay. This chapter was rough for me for some reason. I went over it at least ten times, trying to make it sound right and to ensure Bella reacted how I wanted her to the situations. I hope that I succeeded._**

 ** _Please review._**


	7. Chapter 7

Charlie rolled over in bed, the bright sunlight shining into his room and across his face. He was still tired; having worked so much overtime within the past week. But, he finally had a day off and he was determined to enjoy it while he had the chance.

He didn't remember much of the night before. Charlie had driven home with the window open, the cool air keeping him awake. He knew that Bella was aware that he'd be home late, but when he had to stay longer than he initially had told her, he didn't bother to call, knowing that she most likely had fallen asleep by then. When he finally got home at shortly after 11pm, he slipped his shoes off when he came in the house, bypassed the kitchen and went straight to bed. Usually he'd pop his head into Bella's room, but last night, he had been too tired and her door was already closed, a good indicator that he had come to realize meant that she was asleep. Charlie did feel bad though - he knew Bella had made him supper the night before and the delicious smells still lingered in the house when he had gotten home.

With a disgruntled sigh, he sat up, got dressed and shuffled out of his room and into the hallway. Charlie glanced at Bella's closed door, ran his hand through his hair before shrugging as he went into the bathroom. Even after he came out, her door was still closed. He smiled softly to himself. Charlie was glad that Bella was sleeping better than she had in months. He went downstairs and turned on the coffee maker in the kitchen before reaching up above the fridge to turn on the radio.

Charlie yawned, as he filled the machine with fresh grounds, the morning news report playing loudly from the radio.

Ten minutes later, he found himself sitting at the table by the window, newspaper in hand and fresh coffee in front of him. The bright morning sun was shining in, giving promise for a nice late spring day.

When the phone suddenly rang, he reached back over his shoulder and grabbed the receiver.

"Y'hello," he drawled.

" _Charlie_?" The way Billy spoke sounded like he was surprised to hear his voice.

"Yeah, Billy! How's it going old man?"

" _Uh, fine, fine,_ " Billy replied, uncertain. " _I didn't wake you, did I?_ "

"Not at all. I got in late last night from work. Missing hikers and damn bear sightings have been keeping us busy. But I'm off today. I was thinking of heading to the river to get some fishing in. Care to join me?"

" _I'll have to take a rain check this time. Actually, I was just wondering if you've, uh...if you've seen Jake around your place this morning."_

"Can't say that I have. Why? Is he not at home?"

" _Yeah, well I saw him earlier and I thought that maybe he and Bella may be out someplace together. I was just looking for him."_

A smile pulled at Charlie's lips. No one was more thrilled with the fact that Bella and Jacob were together than him. He had already seen Jacob as a son of his, having him dating his daughter was like icing on the cake.

"Well, Bella's here."

" _She is?"_ He asked, sounding pleased.

"Yeah, she's still in bed.

There was a commotion in the background before Billy shushed someone.

" _Well, when she gets up, can you have her give me a call. It's about Jake."_

"Sure thing," Charlie said slowly, hearing something within Billy's voice.

"Billy, you okay?"

" _Yeah, never better, Chief,_ " he quickly replied. " _Bye Charlie_."

"Bye," Charlie said just moments before he heard the phone disconnect.

Something didn't sit right with him. He turned and placed the phone back on the hook before going back to his newspaper. Every so often, he'd glance at the ceiling, waiting and listening for a sound to come from Bella's room. All he heard was silence.

Charlie looked at the clock on the wall - 9:55am.

With a sigh, he pushed out his chair and put his mug into the sink when something caught his eye - two pieces of paper tacked beside the phone. He hadn't seen them yesterday morning when he left for work. Seeing Bella's handwriting on the backside with his name scribbled onto it, he pulled them off the board.

Charlie sat back down as he read the one with his name.

He sighed deeply.

While he was glad that Bella was spending time with some friends for the next week, he wondered why she didn't just call him up at work to just let him know that. He had no clue who these friends were or even where exactly they were going. Charlie knew that he had told Bella to keep out of the woods and knowing she had stated they were going into the mountains didn't sit well with him either. Charlie was left with so many questions.

Charlie looked down at Jacob's name scratched on the second note. Knowing that it was most likely more mushy than he'd want to know, he couldn't help but wonder if she told Jacob more about where she was going and who she was going with than she had mentioned to him.

He opened the note and began to read.

With a start, Charlie jumped to his feet.

"What the fucking hell!?" He exclaimed aloud, before he quickly rushed to the stairs. He had to see this for himself. When Charlie reached Bella's door, he pushed it open, his shoulders dropping in disappointment when he found the bed empty.

Bella was gone.

Rushing back downstairs, he grabbed his wallet and keys from the counter. He slammed the door behind him before he climbed into his cruiser.

Charlie still couldn't believe Bella would do something as stupid as this. He stewed about it the entire drive to La Push, his heart faltering as he pulled up in front of the Black's home. As much as reading the letter had angered him, he knew that it would simply tear Jacob apart. Still, he had to let him know what was going on - he deserved to know.

"Charlie? Are you okay?" Billy asked the moment he opened the door. He could see the emotions flashing across his friends face.

"Is...uh..." Charlie began feeling the weight of the note in his hand. "Is Jake around?"

Billy shook his head.

"The kid is out with some friends. What's going on?"

"Something I wish wasn't happening."

Seeing the expression on Charlie's face, Billy invited him into the house, offering him a coffee as it was still morning.

"I was hoping you've got something stronger than caffeine," Charlie quipped, the sides of his mouth trying to form a smile, but failing miserably.

Concerned, Billy led him into the kitchen and had him sit down at the small table. Charlie pulled out the note from his back pocket and held it between his fingers before passing it to Billy.

Charlie sighed. "I really don't have words right now. I have no damn clue what Bella is thinking. This whole morning I thought that she was in her room, but she was already gone before I even woke up. Hell, she might have taken off before I got home last night."

Watching Charlie with worried eyes, Billy opened the folded note with his son's name scribbled on top and read it, his heart sinking with each word that he read. A righteous anger filled Billy as he sighed, controlling his own emotions for the sake of his friend. He looked over at Charlie, as the man leaned forward and rested his elbows against his knees. Billy couldn't imagine how Charlie was feeling. A part of Billy was glad that Charlie didn't know the truth about the Cullen's. Surely, knowing that your only daughter ran away with her ex-boyfriend wasn't as bad if you happened to know that he was also a vampire.

"The whole way here I was thinking that maybe it was something I did...or said that drove her back to him."

Billy reached over and put his hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"This was her decision and her's alone."

With that in mind, Billy decided that today was indeed the day to open up that bottle of whiskey that he had been storing under the cabinet in the kitchen. After everything Jacob had gone through with phasing, he considered opening it a few times. But with Jacob and Bella's growing relationship, he had hoped that one day it could have been used in a toast with Charlie, celebrating their children's engagement or the birth of their first grandchild. Unfortunately, it would be used to momentarily drink away their anguish and disappointment.

As they drank in silence, Billy could only think about Jacob and how he'd react.

It didn't take long for him to find out.

Charlie had left shortly before dinner, once he knew his blood alchohol had dropped to a sufficient level. While Billy was concerned with Charlie going home alone, he knew it would probably be best if no one was around when the time came to give Jacob the letter.

Billy sat on the porch as the sun fell and saw Jacob, along with Embry walking side by side out of the forest. The pair had just finished their patrol rotation around La Push. Jacob had a smile on his face, a large contrast to the young man that was in his kitchen that morning who begged him to call the Swan's to ensure that Bella was home. That weight had visibly lifted once Charlie had confirmed that Bella was in bed. It ached Billy to know that he was going to deliver devastating news to his son.

Jacob seemed to know that something was wrong when he spotted Billy sitting on the porch.

"Dad?"

Billy looked down at the note in his hand before glancing back up at Jacob. Both Embry and Jacob had paused, their noses inhaling deeply.

"There's a vampire here," Embry stated, a growl instinctively rising in his throat.

Billy shook his head. "It's probably this that you're smelling. Charlie brought it over earlier today for you."

"Charlie?"

Curiously, the pair moved closer before Billy held out the note towards Jacob. He paused, wincing at the vile smell that seemed to come from it. Jacob could see his name written on the front.

"It's from Bella," Billy added, his face downcast.

To have a note from Bella associated with the scent of vampires sent an involuntary tremor through Jacob.

Slowly, he reached out and took it from Billy. With a final curious glance at his father, he opened it, reading each word.

Billy watched Jacob's face, the small muscular shifts in his expression as he forced himself from breaking down. But what started out as an agonizing sadness turned into an unquenchable anger. It was so thick and palpable, that Embry could sense it.

"Jake? What's wrong?"

He leaned over to read what was on the note when Jacob suddenly turned, throwing the note to the ground before he took off running, his body exploding before he even disappeared into the woods, his loud snarls being the only thing they could hear. Embry looked after him, confused as he picked up the note and read it.

"Holy shit," he mumbled before he began to read it softly under his breath.

' _ **Dear Jake**_

 _ **I made a mistake. I don't love you like I thought I did. Edward has and always will have my heart. I'm running away with him.**_

 _ **Sincerely,**_

 _ **Bella'**_

Embry scoffed in disbelief, shoving the foul note into his pocket. He could completely understand Jacob's reaction. Embry had seen into Jacob's mind as it always seemed to focus onto Bella.

"Embry, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Billy told Embry soberly. He nodded before running off into the woods after his friend.

He phased and he wasn't ready for the onslaught of loud thoughts that Jacob was projecting into the pack mind - visually disturbing images of himself ripping Edward apart that seemed to repeat over and over. Embry wasn't the only one shocked by the sudden violent thoughts.

' _Whoa! Jake, I know we all hate leeches, but dude, you gotta chill out a bit!'_ Paul exclaimed, as he ran patrol around La Push with Jared.

 _'I can't even hear myself think!_ ' Jared shouted in his mind.

Rather than explain, Embry simply recalled reading the same letter that had sent Jacob over the edge.

' _Fuck_ ,' was Jared's only response.

' _No surprise there._ _Once a leech lover, always a leech lover,_ ' suddenly flew through Paul's mind before he had a chance to censor his asshole thoughts for Jacob's benefit.

Taking offence, Jacob snarled and raced towards Paul's location. Within a matter of seconds, he collided with Paul's wolf, sending them both barreling into the side of a tree, cracking it and knocking it over onto the forest floor in a loud crash. Paul yelped, as his shoulder took most of the brunt of the impact.

 _'What the hell is your problem!? Can't you take a joke!?_ ' Paul exclaimed with a growl, trying to get himself righted but failed miserably. He couldn't properly push himself up onto his feet as Jacob continued to snarl at him, his teeth bared and saliva dripping from his mouth as he prowled closer to him. The crazed look in Jacob's eyes actually frightened Paul. For a moment, he was certain that Jacob wasn't even behind the russet wolf's eyes.

Both Jared and Embry were concerned over their brother's irrational actions. While Embry raced to get Sam from Emily's place, Jared thought he'd try to stall Jacob as long as possible from killing Paul before Sam could get there.

' _Jake! Stop it!_ ' Jared shouted with a snarl as he quickly came to Paul's side, offering him support despite the shitty remark he made towards Bella. ' _You know what a jackass Paul can be. He can't help it! As much as killing him would probably make you feel better right now, you'd regret it. He's your brother. We're family. When one of us hurts, we all do.'_

Still _,_ Jacob snarled with no semblance of human thought within his response. All they could see in his mind was anger; pure, raging anger.

 _'Our lives are already so fucked up! It's just shitty to know that she left you for a leech. I hate it as much as you do!'_ Paul shouted at him, still feeling the pain in his shoulder although he was finally standing. He was desperate for his thoughts to break through the barrier of strong emotions that Jacob had created in his mind.

No rational thought seemed to be present in Jacob's mind. While he seemed to be ignoring Jared's presence, Jacob's focus of his rage was directed towards Paul, to the point that his mind had reconstituted an image of Edward in Paul's place.

From seemingly out of nowhere, Sam raced out of the woods with Embry at his side, both on two legs. Jared looked over at the pair, not having even noticed that Embry had phased out since he had left to get Sam. Jacob's thoughts were so strong that it overpowered everything within the pack.

"Jacob! Stand down!" Sam shouted, allowing the Alpha timbre to flow out of him.

Jacob's wolf turned to him, the crazed look in his eyes still present. A low growl errupted from the back of his throat as he snarled towards Sam.

Sensing that they were in danger being in their human form and that Jacob seemed to still be beyond reason despite the Alpha order, Embry moved to phase but Sam put his arm out on his shoulder, ensuring that he didn't go anywhere. Sam simply stared at Jacob's eyes as he spoke to Embry beside him.

"Don't move. Just wait."

With a huff, Jacob sat back on his haunches, his ears dropping.

Sam looked over at Jared and Paul, ordering them both to phase out. The pain in Paul's shoulder had nearly disappeared but he was sporting a large purple bruise.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked him. Paul rotated his shoulder, his eyes still on Jacob as he didn't trust that Sam's order had placated him enough to not attack.

"I'll live. But I don't know about him. His mind is everywhere. It's like he's been torn apart. I don't even recognize his mind."

Sam watched Jacob as the wolf whimpered, the crazed look in his eyes having disappeared and had turned to a heavy despair.

As though he couldn't keep himself together, the air around Jacob shimmered before the wolf was replaced with a young man, broken and sobbing on the forest floor. Jacob pulled his knees up and wrapped his arms around himself.

Feeling the need to give Jacob some privacy, Sam had Jared and Paul go back on patrol and sent Embry home. But not wanting to leave a brother alone while going through something devastating, Sam sat on the fallen tree and simply watched over Jacob from a distance. It was a few minutes before Jacob's sobs began to subside.

"I just don't understand," he spoke weakly, wiping the tears from his eye. "She said that she loved me. I believed her when she told me that. I gave my heart to her. I gave her every part of me. What did I do wrong?"

Sam, not knowing if it Jacob was talking to himself or not, didn't answer. It wasn't until he saw Jacob look at him over his shoulder that he knew that it was directed towards him.

"You did nothing wrong," Sam replied softly to him.

Jacob growled slightly. "This whole phasing thing...it kept us apart...you, kept us apart."

"Jake, you know that it was for her safety. And a week or two shouldn't have changed her feelings for you."

Jacob snorted.

"She wouldn't have been able to love something like me anyways. She's probably better off."

Sam quickly stood up, his expression fierce.

"You can't believe that."

"Why not? I'm not the same Jacob she knew a few weeks ago. I'm a monster!"

"Deep down, you're still the same man."

Sam watched as Jacob ran his hands over his face and into his hair. When he caught sight of Jacob rubbing his chest and wincing, something hit him.

"Jake, are you certain that you didn't imprint?"

"You saw my memories. You would have known if I had."

"But, it's just that...your chest hurts, doesn't it?"

Jacob scoffed, dropping his hand from where it rubbed against his ribs. "I was just dumped, Sam. Everything hurts. It doesn't mean that I imprinted on Bella. I guess it's a good thing that I didn't. It would be just my luck to have an imprint in love with a bloodsucker."

Sam was about to speak when a sudden howl cut the air. Both he and Jacob knew what it meant; vampire on their land. A growl vibrated in Jacob's chest as he pushed himself up to stand. He made his way over to Sam and for the first time, the Alpha could see the redness in Jacob's eyes from his sobbing.

"That red headed leech must be back," Sam commented with a snarl, pulling off his shorts. "Let's get this bitch. You can take point."

Sam knew that it wouldn't end Jacob's pain, but he hoped that joining with his brothers to destroy a common enemy would give him some gratification and perhaps, in time his heart would heal.

* * *

Pubnico, Nova Scotia

Of all places Bella thought that she'd be brought to, she never thought she'd be brought to the most southern town in Nova Scotia Canada. It was a fishing village with a small population of french Acadians in the middle of nowhere. Their three day drive across the country to this town had pissed her off. Neither Edward or Alice would tell her where they were going, citing that they'd let her know when they arrived. Alice accused Bella of behaving childishly when she wasn't getting her way. Bella simply raised her middle finger at the pixie from where she sat in the back seat. Edward sighed, having seen the gesture in the rearview mirror and was frankly becoming more and more surprised by Bella's behaviour.

When they had finally arrived at the small white sided house along an inlet, Edward told them that he would head back to Forks to ensure that Victoria hadn't followed them. While he was gone, Alice tried to cheer Bella up, promising her that she give her her cell phone to call Charlie the next day. While Bella was anticipating hearing Charlie's voice to ensure that he was all right, what Bella wasn't expecting was Charlie's strong reaction to her phone call.

" _Bella, you get your ass home right now!"_

"Dad, I can't. I'm with friends and we're..."

" _Enough with the lying! It's bad enough that you hurt Jacob with your letter, but you lied to me."_

Bella was beyond confused. How would he had known that she had lied to him about what was really going on? For a moment, Bella wondered in Edward had gone home and had explained to Charlie what was happening. But what really had her worried was his comment about her hurting Jacob.

"Jacob?"

" _Yeah, Billy tells me that the guy is really upset about how you dumped him like that and I don't blame him. I mean, I thought you and Jake had something going on. To just tell him in a letter that you don't care about him anymore...that's like...Bella, that's heartless."_

"-wait! What are you talking about? I didn't dump him!"

" _Well, it certainly sounded like it...you, leaving Forks with Edward Cullen the moment that he shows his face. I thought you'd know better than that after what you had gone through when he left."_

Bella paused, the wheels turning in her head as she tried to figure out what Charlie was talking about. She ran her hands through her hair as she glanced over at Alice, who simply sat on the couch, leafing through a magazine. There was no doubt in Bella's mind that Alice could hear the conversation she was having with her father and she was surprised that the vampire wasn't the least bit shocked to hear Charlie's accusation.

"Dad, I have to go."

" _Bella, don't you dare hang up on me."_

"I'm sorry, but I really have to go."

" _Bella_..."

She hung up before Charlie had the chance to say another word. Bella's eyes squared at Alice, who continued to ignore the indignant glare that was being shot her way. To get her attention, Bella tossed Alice's cell phone onto the open page of her magazine. Alice feigned being startled by the gesture and shook her head at Bella.

"You could have just passed it to me," she said irritably, leaning slightly to put her cell phone back in her back pocket.

Bella was livid.

"What the hell did you do?!"

Alice sighed, closing the magazine before she turned to Bella, knowing exactly what had gotten her riled up.

"Bella, I had to ensure that Jacob had a reason to stay in La Push and not follow you. Making it sound like you went back to Edward was the only way."

"The only way!?" She shrieked, angry tears in her eyes. "He thinks that I dumped him..that I don't care! What were you thinking!?"

"Bella, he can't know the truth. You'd be putting him in danger."

Bella ran her hands through her hair.

"You've been trying to get me away from Jacob. Was this all a ruse to get me to leave!? Is Victoria even out there coming for me, or is that a lie as well!?"

"I'm sorry about the note, but everything we've done for you is for your own safety. Victoria is a threat right now and until she's caught, you're in danger. I think you need..."

"-NO! Stop telling me what I should do and what you think I need. Right now, I need you to leave!"

"You don't mean that, Bella."

"Like hell I don't! Get the fuck out!"

Alice sighed bitterly and stood up.

"Fine," she stated. "But I should have you know that this is Edward's property and you have no right to kick me out. But, I'm finding that I need to hunt and I'll have to travel a distance to a decent hunting area. I'll leave you to calm down. I'll be nearby to make sure you're safe."

Bella watched as Alice quickly left the house, leaving her alone with her thoughts. The only sound was the cries of gulls flying over the beach. Feeling deflated, Bella sat down on the couch and sobbed.

It was nearly a week before Edward returned, with new ID for Bella as his wife and news that Victoria had left the Forks area after having no luck in finding her. He seemed pleased with himself that the plan was working. Although his idea never included Victoria in the mix, but it seemed to work to their benefit. There was no need to alert the rest of the family, now that Victoria wasn't near Forks.

The morning he walked into the small white sided house, he was met with a sound that he wasn't expecting. He paused, listening.

"Bella?"

He heard her retch again.

Edward walked past the kitchen, and it appeared that Bella had been in the midst of making bacon and eggs for breakfast. Quickly switching off the burner, he headed to the bathroom to find Bella on her knees in front of the toilet, throwing up. Quickly, he reached over her in the cramped bathroom and grabbed a glass of water from the tap. He passed it into her free hand and pulled her hair back from her face just as she threw up again. Blindly, Bella reached up and flushed the toilet before taking a sip of water and swooshed her mouth out before spitting into the toilet again.

"You're ill," Edward commented as Bella sat back against the bathroom wall.

She nodded and took another sip of water.

"That bacon that I found in the freezer must have been bad."

He smiled weakly and apologized, assuring her that he'd get her some fresh food. She stared at him, her sick eyes weak and tired.

"It's been a week," she stated hotly, before taking another sip of water upon feeling that nausea come back. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Looking for Victoria. It seems that she has moved on from Forks."

More than a week had already passed since Bella had left home; much longer than she had originally anticipated. Bella looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"I can go back?"

With a sigh, Edward shook his head. "Not until we catch her. If you head home now, she'll just come back to Forks. Alice has joined in the search and the others are doing their best too."

Bella closed her eyes and lowered her head along the edge of the toilet, a sense of dread washed over her before she threw up again. It was becoming clear to her that she was going to be in Nova Scotia longer than she ever thought.

Edward reached over her shoulder and held her hair back before reaching to flush the toilet for her. He watched as she sighed, her head still resting along the toilet seat.

"I do have some good news," he said with a smirk, reaching onto the floor where he had left a large envelope. He passed it to her. "Your new ID has arrived."

"My new ID?"

Edward smiled sheepishly, watching as she opened the envelope.

"Isabella Mason?"

Bella stared up at Edward. "You can't be serious? I'm your wife?"

"Only according to these documents. And you were born in Halifax. It will make things less complicated if you ever wanted to get a drivers license out here or any government ID."

Bella snorted and put the envelope on the floor.

"I shouldn't be surprised. You and Alice seem to be good at creating false documents. Tell me, did you have a hand in the letter to Jacob?"

Edward paused, and looked down. "I apologize for that. I had read her mind, so yeah, I knew about the contents of it. But it was for his safety; to keep him in Forks."

As much as she was angry with Edward for having a part in Alice's note to Jacob, Bella was feeling so horrible that she couldn't didn't have the energy to argue with him any longer. Edward helped her to her bed, promising that he'd take care of her.

As the days passed, Bella seemed to not be getting any better. To his surprise, she'd be able to keep down food at certain times and then suddenly, she was vomiting in the toilet once again. It wasn't until a week had passed that Edward suggested that he contact Carlisle. When Bella refused, he opted to take her to the walk-in clinic in nearby Yarmouth if she wasn't feeling any better within the next day. Edward was genuinely concerned for her. He had never seen Bella looking so pale.

That night, Bella finally figured it out what was wrong with her as she suddenly realized how much time had passed since she had left Forks. Bella had been on birth control and had always taken it religiously, except for the morning after she had been sick over a month ago and a few days while she was so focused on Jacob's sudden joining of Sam's gang. And then, in her haste to leave home, she had left it behind. Bella figured her body was just trying to regulate itself from the lack of birth control and that explained the delay in her period. That was, until she considered her nausea that seemed to come out of nowhere and didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon.

"This can't be happening," she mumbled anxiously, her hand resting on her lower stomach. "Not now."

Edward looked over her, hearing her cryptic words. His eyes followed her hand as she held it over her stomach. His face twisted from confusion to agony.

"Oh Bella," he sighed. "Please, tell me you didn't...you didn't have...sex with Jacob Black."

Bella glared at Edward as he spoke the words with such disgust.

"Who I have sex with is not any of your damn business!" She exclaimed at him, surprised by his reaction to discovering that she had moved on and had begun a physical relationship with someone else. He knew that she was in love with Jacob.

Edward winced in disappointment. "Well, that dog certainly left his mark in you. I don't know why I didn't hear it before. You're pregnant with his child."

* * *

 ** _A/N_**

 ** _Thank you for all the reviews! I appreciate them all and enjoy reading them!_**

 ** _Some readers were asking when the time jump was going to happen. While I was able to PM those who didn't answer anonymously, for those who I was unable to answer, it'll be happening in the next chapter. A lot is going to happen within that chapter..._**

 ** _Also, I can understand the frustration with Bella going along with Edward and Alice, but what other choice did she have? They had her pinned into a corner and Bella isn't yet aware of the wolves, otherwise, I'm sure she would have thought otherwise. And yes, she isn't pleased with the circumstances and how they are manipulating things around her. We'll see more of that in the next chapter._**


	8. Chapter 8

It was amazing how quickly Bella could go from being furiously angry to being completely and utterly speechless. While she was still pissed off with Edward's reference to Jacob as being a dog and his unjustified disgust in knowing that she had sex with someone, the moment that Edward acknowledged that he could hear the baby, she froze.

It suddenly became real. She was pregnant.

"What? You mean, you can hear it?"

Edward sighed and nodded weakly. "The heartbeat - It's like...a whisper, hidden behind your heartbeat."

A smile slowly appeared on Bella's face, her hand resting protectively over her stomach. As freaked out and overwhelmed as she was to find out that she was pregnant at a time when she was in hiding from Victoria, to have a part of Jacob with her brought a smile to her face.

Being pregnant at 18 was never something Bella dreamed about. Up until recently, she never considered that she'd still be human at her age, let alone have a relationship with someone where she'd have the chance to have that experience - to become a Mom. Bella only wished that she could be in Forks to tell Jacob the news, and to tell her Dad and then Billy that they were going to be grandparents. And then there was her Mom; Renee would be over the moon to know that she was going to be a grandmother.

As she considered calling Jacob, if only to let him know, Edward was always quick to discourage her, citing that it would only provoke him to come searching for her. According to Edward, Victoria was proving to be tough to track down.

While Bella's stomach grew with the life growing inside of her, Edward seemed to distance himself from anything that had to do with the baby. Edward made it no secret that he wasn't pleased with her being pregnant with Jacob's child; often changing the subject when Bella would suck in a breath, stating that she felt the baby move within her. He'd drive her into town whenever she asked and accompany her into stores, appearing as a loving and doting husband and father-to-be, except he chose to wait in the car whenever they made a trip into nearby Yarmouth for a doctor's appointment. The arrangement suited Bella just fine. In fact, she wished that he'd stay in the car for every trip into town. To hear him call her, 'love' and 'darling' as she'd pushed the shopping cart through the store, it made her bite her tongue on more than one occasion. She'd snap at him quietly, smiling through her teeth as he reminded her that that wasn't the way to speak to your husband. To emphasize his words and appease any gawkers to their conversation, Edward would lean in and kiss her cheek, his lips resting longer on her skin than normal before he quickly held his breath.

Bella's scent had gotten stronger with pregnancy. Edward quickly deduced it to the fact that her blood volume had increased to accomodate the growing fetus. As much as Edward found it intoxicating before, he discovered that he needed to hunt on a more regular basis for Bella's safety.

During one of the those times when Edward was away, Bella would walk to the diner at the end of the fishing wharf and use the pay phone to try to call both Charlie and Jacob. The life within her was a constant reminder of what she had left behind and if she could simply let them know that she was all right and about the baby, she would.

Unfortunately, Bella had yet to get an answer at home and she didn't have any better luck at the Black's house. To her disappointment, Billy had answered once, saying that Jacob wasn't interested in hearing anything that she had to say and he made it clear that she was never welcome to come to La Push. Bella didn't even have a chance to say more than two words before he'd hang up on her. After that, her calls went unanswered. She didn't blame Billy. Bella would do the same to someone who would ever break her own child's heart. With that thought in mind, she ran her hand over her growing stomach.

As the weeks turned into months, Bella would watch the tides go in and out, thinking about her Dad and Jacob quite often in La Push; what they were doing, if they were well. On one earlier trip into Yarmouth, Edward brought her to the library. Bella had spent a good hour on the internet, scouring through newspaper articles from Forks. She had hoped that it was possible to see what was going on back home, to possibly get news of her Dad, being that he was the chief of police.

While Bella had fumbled through multiple articles about the continual bear sightings and the numerous deaths of hikers and hunters around Forks, her heart sank when she stumbled upon an obituary for Harry Clearwater. Quickly checking the date, she found that he had passed away shortly after she had left Forks. Bella couldn't imagine how his wife, Sue and his kids, Seth and Leah must have been feeling, losing a husband and father at such a young age. She realized that must have been equally devastating for Charlie, to loose a good friend. Bella wished that she could have been there for him at that time. Thinking of them made her heart ache for Jacob. She missed him terribly, and she couldn't think of never seeing him again. She had to believe that staying away from Forks while the Cullen's searched for Victoria would undoubtedly keep him safe. Bella had to believe that in time, she'd be able to return home. She simply never thought that it would take this long.

September had long passed, marking her 19th birthday. Soon after, Christmas went by and Bella couldn't help but wish for home. Once January hit, Bella made special note of Jacob's 18th birthday, thinking of him and how he'd be celebrating such a milestone. After that, the weeks raced by. February was quickly approaching. Knowing that she was approaching her due date, Edward would be away more often, not wanting to take any chances with Bella's life when she gave birth. Bella woke up earlier that morning, feeling even more uncomfortable than usual. She sat alone in the living room and watched the flickering lights on the lobster boats as they headed out from the wharf and out to the North Atlantic. Bella had no idea that when those boats would return with their hull's full of lobster, she'd be experiencing the most pain that she'd ever feel in her life.

Labour seemed to come on very gradually, to the point that she didn't even notice it until early evening when she had to stop to breath through them. As much as she came to enjoy the time when Edward was away from home, now she wished that he'd quickly return from hunting. Frankly, Bella was scared to death and considered the reality that she may have to deliver her baby, herself.

When Edward did return, he walked into the house to hear Bella groaning in her room. Worried, he raced into the room, pushing open the door a little too roughly, breaking the hinges right off. Bella glared up at him as she laid on her side on her bed, her hands fisting themselves into her comforter as she cried out in pain.

"Where the hell have you been!?" She shouted at him, her eyes wild and a sheen of sweat on her forehead.

"You know where I've been!" Her constant sharp tongue had started to aggrevate him. But seeing her in obvious pain, his eyes softened. He reached out and touched her arm. "I'm sorry for yelling. I'm here now. Don't worry, I'll bring you to the hospital."

"Don't touch me! Damn it, this hurts like a sonofabitch!"

"Bella?! Edward!?"

Alice's voice suddenly filled the house. They hadn't heard from her in months so to hear her voice was a surprise. Edward and Bella's eyes met briefly before Alice swiftly came into the room, with Carlisle right behind her.

It was obvious by the expression on his face when he saw a pregnant Bella Swan in active labour that he had no idea that he was being brought here for this.

"Oh...oh my, Bella?!" Carlisle said in shock, realizing now that both Alice and Edward hadn't been as forthcoming with what they had been up to while in Nova Scotia. All he had been aware of from the pair, was that Bella had chosen to spend her life with Edward and they were going to spend their time on the east coast before he changed her. Nothing was ever mentioned about a pregnancy being involved.

As questions flew into his head, he quickly moved to Bella as she moaned in pain, a little ticked that Alice hadn't informed him about Bella before he arrived.

Glancing quickly over at Bella, Alice came to Edward's side and smiled proudly.

"I had a vision of you this morning. I doubt that you would want to deliver a baby on your own in the backseat of your car."

Alice's attention was brought back to Bella as she gasped while Carlisle gently palpated her stomach, feeling for the baby's position with his ice cold hands.

Carlisle looked at Bella's face, grabbing her wrist to check her pulse while he watched her have another contraction. He spoke softly to her, watching her expression as he coached her in breathing deeply; something that Bella wasn't doing well enough and was having an affect on her oxygen levels.

"I'll bring the car around," Edward told him.

Carlisle shook his head.

"She wont make it in time. Like Alice said, Bella would most likely deliver in the car. She's better off just staying put."

Edward swallowed, watching Bella as she slowly breathed with Carlisle's calming words. He was relieved that Alice had found it prudent to bring their 'father' to Nova Scotia, even if he did discover that they had been keeping things from the rest of the family.

"What can I do?"

"You, sit behind her and give her back some support," Carlisle said firmly before he looked over at Alice who hovered by the doorway.

"Get me some clean towels, water and blankets."

Alice nodded before she disappeared while Edward slid in behind Bella's back. He was grateful that he had hunted just prior to coming back to the house. To be sitting so close to Bella would have taken more than a little restraint.

Bella didn't make any argument to Carlisle's direction to having Edward sit behind her; her focus was on the pain and the desire to end it as quickly as possible. For her, Carlisle had suddenly became her saving grace; his calming nature already having an affect on her pain level. Whatever he thought would help, she'd agree to.

When Carlisle told her that he was going to check to see how far along she was, Bella wasn't prepared for the pain that associated such a procedure. His cold hands were certainly appreciated despite the agony she felt. Bella continued to breath deeply, hearing Edward encouraging her softly from behind her.

"You're doing great, love," she heard him say, brushing her hair away from her clammy neck.

"Shut the hell up! I hate you," Bella snarled between her clenched teeth.

Carlisle glanced up, hearing the exchange curiously before he dismissed it as Bella simply being in overwhelming pain. He smiled at her.

"All I'm feeling here is a head. On the next contraction, I want you to give a light push against my hand."

Bella nodded silently, breathing deeply before her forehead creased and she began to push. Carlisle nodded happily, encouraging her that she was doing it and that the baby was moving down.

"Do that again, whenever you're ready."

This time, she pushed harder, determined to get that baby out of her one way or another. Carlisle chuckled, an unexplained excitement at seeing the baby's head emerge over his hand.

"Bella, your baby has quite a headful of black hair. Do you want to feel it?"

For a moment, Bella opened her eyes, a smile ghosting her lips before she nodded. She reached forward weakly before Carlisle took her wrist with his free hand and gently had her fingers touch the crown of the baby's head. Carlisle watched Bella's expression; a renewed strength visibly shown on her face to know that she was so close to delivering the baby.

"Okay, next contraction, push hard."

Bella nodded, once again grabbing ahold of her knees. She growled, an unearthly sound coming up from her throat as she pushed.

Alice returned with towels and passed them to Carlisle. She quickly caught sight of the baby's head emerging from Bella before she covered her nose, and rushed out of the room, saying the scent of blood was just too strong for her. While Carlisle made a inquisitive glance towards Edward, his mind asking him if he was all right with the smell, Edward nodded back.

Carlisle quickly tucked one towel between his hand and the baby's head as he supported it. After quickly checking to ensure the cord wasn't around the baby's neck, Bella began to push the rest of the body out. A sudden release of pressure and relief of pain swept over her.

"Bella, you did," Carlisle told her, a smile on his face.

The sound of a baby's cry echoed in the room before he quickly picked up the newborn with the towel underneath and placed the baby on Bella's stomach. Instinctively, Bella reached up and wrapped the edges of the towel around the baby to keep it warm. Carlisle's smile never left his face as he watched Bella with tears in her eyes as she placed a kiss on the baby's head. As the newborn's skin began to pink up, Carlisle couldn't get over the baby's light russet complexion, and the jet black hair; two things that Bella simply didn't have.

Carlisle wasn't the only one who couldn't take his eyes off the baby. Bella ran her hand lovingly over the baby's small clenched hand before she leaned over and placed a kiss on it. Edward was in awe, watching Bella display an instant maternal affection for the life resting agains her. To have seen her push another human out of her body that she had nourished for months made him all the more in love with her.

While Carlisle reached over to clamp off the umbilical cord and to quickly cut it, he smiled, hearing her whisper softly.

"Congratulations Bella," Carlisle told her. "Does he have a name?"

"He?"

Carlisle smirked, gesturing to where he had just cut the umbilical cord. "That's not another umbilical cord down there. You have a son."

Bella looked down to see that Carlisle had confirmed that she indeed had a son. She chuckled, her fingers gently touching her son's dark hair on his head. Tears came to her eyes as Carlisle once again covered the baby with a towel.

"Daniel Ja...," she whispered softly as she suddenly felt herself getting light headed. Bella winced, forcing herself to stay awake.

Carlisle looked at Bella's face, sensing that something was wrong. He could hear it; her blood pressure was dropping.

"Bella?" He asked, seeing her struggle to stay awake. To his horror, Carlisle saw bright red blood begin to hemorrhage from between Bella's legs, with the delivery of the placenta. "Dammit!"

"Carlisle?!" Edward exclaimed, seeing his hands suddenly covered in Bella's blood. "What's wrong?"

Carlisle ignored Edward, his focus completely on Bella.

"Bella, keep your eyes open!"

Bella's eyes momentarily opened upon hearing her name being called. She was soon oblivious to the chaos that suddenly erupted around her. Her name was being shouted before she felt the weight of the baby being taken off of her chest and Daniel's cries suddenly filled the room. She could feel cold hands pressing hard against her stomach. As she struggled to stay awake, she felt light and weightless before everything disappeared completely.

* * *

Edward watched Bella as she slept in her bed, the IV tube trailing from her wrist to the bag hanging from the hook above her. His ears listened carefully to her steady heartbeat and her rhythmic breathing. After being so close to losing her, Edward wasn't going to leave that room until she woke up.

With a sigh, he looked over at the newborn sleeping peacefully in the small basinette against the wall, his keen ears paying attention to his rapid heartbeat. Daniel had been the focus of Edward's bitterness ever since he had found out Bella had slept with Jacob. But as he had held Daniel in his arms while Carlisle worked hard to prevent Bella from bleeding to death, Edward saw not only the innocence within the child, but also Bella's eyes looking back up at him. Those eyes tore at his dead heart. It suddenly hit him - Bella was a part of that little baby that he had once detested.

Now, as much as he was worried about Bella, his attention was also on Daniel. Edward's head would turn whenever he'd hear Daniel stir within his basinette across the room. The loud noises that came from the newborn caused Edward to assume that Daniel wasn't asleep, but one glimpse into his mind put him at ease; he was dreaming. A small smile came to Edward's face before he heard Bella sigh.

Edward was on his feet in an instant, speaking softly to Bella, encouraging her to wake up. Slowly, her eyes opened, confusion glazing over them for a moment before they widened and she suddenly remembered everything.

"Where's Daniel?"

"He's here. He's fine," Edward replied, looking over at the basinette against the wall. "He's asleep."

Bella sighed in relief, seeing the small bundle swaddled tightly. "What happened?"

"You hemorrhaged and passed out from low blood pressure. Carlisle had to manually cause your uterus to contract to close off the blood vessels that opened after the placenta detached since your body wasn't doing it. He massaged your stomach for a while until the bleeding slowed to a stop. You lost a lot of blood. I don't know what I would have done if Carlisle wasn't here."

Bella looked around, eager to see Dr. Cullen, if only to ask how the search for Victoria was going. She was eager to get home.

"Where's Carlisle?"

"He left not too long ago to get back to Esme. I told him that I'd take care of you and Daniel while you recovered."

Bella snorted, her eyes on Daniel across the room as she pushed herself up.

"I don't need your help," she stated, pausing as a wave of lightheadedness washed over her. She closed her eyes just as Edward quickly moved to her side, urging her to stay where she was.

"You're still weak. Let me get him for you."

With the movement and cold touch from Edward's hand supporting his head, Daniel quickly woke up. The moment Bella had Daniel in her arms, she pulled him close to her and shifted her body protectively in between Edward and her son. Daniel fussed in her arms, now that he was not only awake but hungry.

"Bella, I wouldn't hurt you or Daniel."

"You made it quite clear when I was pregnant that you weren't fond of him."

Edward took a deep breath. "I guess you can say that I've had a change of heart. So much so, that I'd be willing to raise him as my own son and give him my human last name, Mason."

Bella scoffed. "Edward..."

"...Bella, I always wanted you to have a human life, to experience life as a human and having...sex and having the chance to be a Mom, are a part of that life that I wanted you to have. Once Daniel is weaned, I'd be willing to change you...and make you immortal. After seeing you nearly bleed to death, I realized some things - I can't live this existence without you."

Bella stared at him as though he had grown another head. There was nothing that led her to believe that Edward could have suddenly decided that he cared at all about Daniel, especially when he was offering to change her, leaving Daniel with a vampire as a mother. But the expression on his face, led Bella to believe contrary.

"You're serious."

Edward nodded, sitting down on the bed beside Bella. He looked over at Daniel as he rooted at the blanket around his face. A smile pulled at Edward's mouth as he watched him.

"I've never considered having a son of my own until I held him in my arms. Daniel is a part of you. And since I love you, I've found myself loving him. We could raise him together...you and I."

Bella shook her head.

"Just like that, huh? Did you forget that although Daniel's a part of me, he's also a part of someone else? And like it or not, I'm still in love with Jacob. While I appreciate everything you've done for me, when this whole thing with Victoria is over, Daniel and I are going to go back to Forks." She paused for a moment, staring firmly at Edward.

"And his name is Daniel Jacob Swan, not Mason."

Daniel took that moment to wail loudly, his mouth wide open as he rooted desperately at Bella's shirt. He suddenly found his fist by his face and sucked on it for a few seconds before crying once again. Bella shushed him softly, rocking slightly hoping to comfort him.

"He's hungry. You're going to want to feed him," Edward told her, sounding defeated before he stood up. Without saying anything more, Edward left the room.

Bella looked down at the baby in her arms before she carefully pulled her arm from inside her shirt. Glancing out the open door to ensure that Edward wasn't nearby, she sighed.

"Okay, Daniel, it's just you and me," she told Daniel as he continued to root, almost sensing that food was nearby. She tipped Daniel's mouth towards her breast, as she had seen in books that she had read in the library over the past few months.

It had taken them a few tries, but suddenly Bella smiled when she noticed Daniel was properly latched on. She watched him, seeing his jaw move as he sucked on her breast. Pulling her knees up, she reclined slightly, holding Daniel carefully in place.

"I wont let him hurt you."

In the other room, Edward could hear as Bella would talk to Daniel about Jacob, how glad she was that he had his mouth and dark hair and how she couldn't wait for Daniel to meet him. Bella would do this everytime she sat down to nurse him. Even as the months passed, she continued to speak the same words to him. Daniel would look up at her, his small hands reaching up to play with Bella's hair as it fell over her shoulder, content to hear his Mom speak to him; milk dripping from the corner of his mouth and over her breast when he'd smile. Edward could see Jacob in that smile and it still killed him everytime he saw it.

While he knew that it was impossible for Daniel to ever be his biological son, Edward was determined to prove to Bella that he could be that father figure in Daniel's life. Except, Bella refused to allow Edward to be alone with Daniel. She simply couldn't trust him.

When Edward had returned one evening from hunting to find Bella in the shower and Daniel smiling at him from his playpen by the television, he scooped him up and headed down to the beach to play. Edward knew how much Daniel enjoyed the beach. When Bella had found out that her son was missing, she was on the verge of a panic attack until she saw him with Edward happily playing in the sand with a toy dump truck.

Bella had been shaking with anger by the time she reached the beach. Without saying a word, she picked up Daniel, who proceeded to throw a fit before she carried him back towards the house.

"Bella, it's no big deal!" Edward called out after her, promptly getting up off the sand. "We were just having a father and son time."

Bella paused, turned in the sand and glared at him, holding Daniel close to her chest. " _You_ are not his father."

From that day on, Edward had tried his best to reconcile with her. He'd bring her flowers and make her meals; anything to win her heart and gain her trust once again. The only time Bella would speak to him was if she would inquire about the search for Victoria; it seemed to always be on her mind and it frustrated Edward that even after being away from Forks for over 22 months, she was still determined to go back. After all this time, Edward had hoped that she would have reconsidered and remembered how much she was in love with him.

Feeling disheartened, Edward took off for a few days to hunt shortly before Daniel turned 14 months old. While he had been gone, Daniel came down with a cold that eventually developed into a deep cough with a high fever. As each day passed, Bella waited for Edward to return in order for her to bring him to a doctor. As much as she knew Edward would tell her that it was just a cold, something in her told her it was something more.

Daniel's fever was going on its second day when Bella heard a knock at the door. With Daniel dozing on her shoulder in only a light blue onesie and a diaper, she quickly opened it, expecting Edward. Instead, she was shocked when she saw Carlisle and Esme standing at her door, explaining that they had been in the area and were wondering how she and Edward were doing.

Regardless of her strange relationship with Edward, Carlisle and Esme had always been kind to her and meant well. Bella also would never forget what Carlisle had done for her the day that Daniel was born. She quickly invited them in, Esme's face smiling as she had only heard about the little boy from Carlisle. Taking one glance at the toddler with the pacifier in his mouth, she could tell that something was wrong.

"He's been sick for a few days now," Bella told them as she sat down on the couch with Daniel. Exchanging a look, Esme and Carlisle sat down on the couch on either side of her.

"And how are you doing? You look exhausted, dear," Esme said softly to Bella, before Daniel began to cough, his pacifier falling out of his mouth onto the couch.

It nearly tumbled to the ground, except Carlisle quickly moved his hand and caught it in the air.

Having seen the quick movement, Daniel raised his head, his eyes heavy from congestion and fever. When Carlisle held the pacifier out towards the toddler, his amber cornea's met Daniel's piercing brown eyes. With a coaxing smile from Carlisle, Daniel reached out and quickly took it from him before he stuck it back in his mouth, tucking his head shyly against Bella's chest.

"I'm fine," Bella insisted. "I would be better if Daniel would sleep more than a few minutes before waking up. He's been glued to me for the past two days. It's just not like him."

"I noticed that his cough sounded strange," Carlisle said, looking at Daniel as the toddler's sick eyes watched him carefully. Carlisle was about to reach out to touch Daniel but hesitated, and asked Bella for her permission. She nodded wholeheartedly before Carlisle's cool hand rested on the overheated toddler's back.

"I have found that over the years, my own senses are better at detecting small abnormal sounds than the technology I use."

He gently slid his hand over Daniel's back, the toddler not at all bothering the gesture and in fact, closed his eyes once again. Carlisle sighed, removing his hand.

"He has pneumonia."

"Are you sure?"

Carlisle nodded. "The infection is in his lower left lung. There's a distinct difference in the way his breathing feels against my hand. And his breathing is quite rapid for his age. It's important that he drinks a lot."

Bella smiled weakly. "I'm having a hard time getting him to like water. He still nurses though."

"No harm in nursing him more while he's sick. He could use the antibodies from you right now. I'll make sure to pick up a prescription for him before we leave."

Bella let out a sigh of relief, knowing that she wouldn't have to call a taxi and then sit in Yarmouth's ER for hours.

"Thank you. I appreciate this so much." She paused for a moment, as tears came to her eyes. "I appreciate everything you guys have done for me and for Daniel. I know that searching for Victoria has probably meant putting your own lives on hold. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."

Carlisle glanced over at Esme, seeing that his wife was just as confused by Bella's words about Victoria.

"Uh, Bella, where's Edward?"

Bella scoffed, rubbing her nose with her free hand. "I have no idea. He's been gone for days, hunting I suppose. It's just as well. No offence, as I know he's family to you, but I don't want him anywhere near me or Daniel."

Both Esme and Carlisle were shocked by Bella's strong aversion of Edward. For as far as they were told, she and Edward were raising Daniel together as their son and Bella was in love with Edward. To hear such hatred in her voice, worried Carlisle.

"Has he harmed either of you?"

"No, nothing like that," Bella quickly replied. "I just can't trust him. When I left Forks, he and Alice left a note behind on my behalf that really hurt someone I loved. And then when I was pregnant, Edward despised Daniel just because he was Jacob's son and then after he was born, he claimed that he had a change of heart."

Carlisle's cold heart sank as he listened to Bella's side of the story; a stark contrast to the explanation of a happy home that Edward portrayed for them.

"Jacob - Daniel's father...where is he from?"

Bella smiled. "La Push. He and I were really close before...". She paused. "Well, then I found out that Victoria had finally decided to come after me and that changed things. I didn't want to leave but in order to protect him and Charlie, I had no other choice."

She paused and ran her hand over Daniel's dark hair as he rested against her. "I never thought I'd end up bringing a piece of Jacob with me."

Carlisle's mind was reeling over what Bella was telling him and taking a quick glance at Esme, she was just as confused. But she put a smile on her face and gently touched Bella's shoulder, her eyes on the sleeping toddler who was starting to snore through the congestion against Bella's chest.

"Bella, why don't you go and rest for a bit," Esme suggested. "We'd be glad to watch over Daniel for you."

Bella looked between Esme and Carlisle. "Are you sure?"

While Carlisle shrugged and gestured to Esme. "It would be our pleasure."

Not willing to neglect help when it was offered, Bella gently laid Daniel on the couch. The boy instantly turned on his side and tucked his head against the back of the cushions. Bella placed a blanket over his legs and ran her hand over his small head. After insisting they wake her if he become fussy or inconsolable, Bella went to her room.

Carlisle looked over at Esme and sighed, certain that the same thought had been shared between them. While Esme sat on the couch at Daniel's feet and watched over him as he slept, Carlisle walked over to the window, looking out at the water as the fog rolled in. He clenched his fists in anger.

"I can't believe that they did this to her," Carlisle mumbled. "And to that child."

"Carlisle, he's part Quileute," Esme added worriedly, watching the toddler sleep, his breathing audible and hindered by the congestion. "His father probably doesn't even know he exists."

Carlisle clenched his jaw. He was normally not a violent person but when it came to knowing that someone was purposely manipulating someone else, he couldn't help but get angry.

"When I questioned Edward about Daniel's complexion while Bella recovered from hemoragging after Daniel's birth, he told me that the father was a sperm donor. He told me that they were wanting to raise a baby together. That was obviously a lie."

"She believes that all this time, we've been searching for Victoria," Esme stated, overwhelmed. "Carlisle, what Alice and Edward have done, it's abuse. They've kept this baby from his father and his grandparents and convinced Bella that Victoria is after her."

"I've always been concerned about Edward's obsessive behaviour when it came to Bella, but this is crossing a line."

With a deep breath, he turned and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Esme asked, slightly concerned given the dark expression on her husband's face.

"I'm going to drive into town and get that prescription for Daniel. And I'm going to make a few phone calls while I'm out. With the way I'm feeling, I wouldn't want to disturb Bella or Daniel while they slept."

No sooner had Carlisle was out of the driveway he had Alice's cheerful voice filling the inside of this car over the speakers.

"I just came from visiting Bella," he snapped bluntly, causing Alice's mood to suddenly change. "She told me some things that really surprised me. What the hell were you thinking lying to her about Victoria?!"

" _Carlisle, you know how volitile those wolves can be. Her future disappeared and she wouldn't leave that mutt. We simply gave her a reason to leave."_

"By convincing her that Victoria was after her and that our family was searching for her."

" _It was the only way._ "

"Did you even know she was pregnant when you began this farce?"

" _Not at first,_ " Alice admitted, softly.

Carlisle sighed audibly.

"If the Quileute's ever find out that you have purposely kept Bella and her son from them, that will certainly make them rethink the treaty. Alice, you and Edward could have just put all of our lives in danger."

" _They wont find out!"_

"Alice, it's over," Carlisle told her decidedly. "I'm sending Bella and Daniel back to Forks. All these lies you've been telling her that Victoria has been searching for her...you've been manipulating her and using her fears for Charlie's safety against her. I'm not going to let you do it any longer."

" _But_ _Carlisle, Edward is in love with her. He's going to win her back. He just needs more time."_

Carlisle sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he heard Alice plead to him. "It's clear that she doesn't love Edward. Alice, you can't make her fall in love with him."

" _It's also still possible that Victoria will come for her someday,_ " Alice stated, seeming to ignore Carlisle about his claim that Bella wasn't in love with Edward. " _Edward tracked her scent around Forks a few months ago. He also read Laurent's mind when he helped us convince Bella to leave. Laurent may have been working with Victoria."_

"Laurent - do you know that Irina has been worried sick about him? They haven't heard from him in months!"

" _Then perhaps he did go back to Victoria. Either way, Carlisle, Bella is not safe in Forks. Victoria will come for her."_

"You keeping claiming that Edward is the only one that can keep her safe," Carlisle snapped, clearly aggitated. "Yet, you forget that the father of her son has the capability of destroying our kind without a single thought! Wouldn't you think that the safest place for her would be with the wolves?!"

Alice growled.

" _They are dangerous! You can't send her back!"_

Not willing to continue the argument with Alice, he hung up on her, continuing his drive into Yarmouth. He stepped harder on the gas pedal, suddenly eager to get the antibiotic and get back to Pubnico. When Carlisle did return, he walked into the house to see Esme walking slowly around the small living room with Daniel asleep on her shoulder, his cheeks red.

"He woke up shortly after you left," she whispered. "He cried for a bit, but settled down soon after. I think his fever is rising again."

Carlisle reached forward and put his cool hand onto Daniel's forehead, feeling the heat radiating off of him. The toddler opened his eyes at the touch. With his hand, Daniel pulled his pacifier out of his mouth.

"Mam," he said weakly, his bottom pulling up to cry again while his eyes started to well up with tears. "Mammam."

"Mommy's sleeping," Carlisle told him softly. "She'll be up soon. You close your eyes."

While Daniel wasn't satisfied with his answer, he tucked the soother back into his mouth and put his head back onto Esme's shoulder.

Carlisle met his wife's eyes.

"I spoke with Alice." He began, before he sighed disappointedly and looked at Daniel as he stared back at him. "We're taking Bella and Daniel with us to the airport in Halifax. They're going back to Forks."

Esme nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly with the idea.

"When do we leave?"

Carlisle looked down at his watch. It was nearly 8pm. Bella had been asleep for less than two hours and it was still a 3 hour ride to the airport. With enough luck, he could have Bella and Daniel in Washington just as the sun rose over the west coast.

"This is important. I'll wake up Bella so we can leave right away."

"And tell her what? She's not going to leave if she thinks Victoria is searching for her."

Carlisle sighed. "Then we'll tell her that Alice managed to track her down and destroy her. I hate having to lie to Bella, but it's important that we get her out of here before Edward returns. I'm concerned about how he'll behave if he comes home to see her leaving. It may prove to be more dangerous for Bella and Daniel than Alice would have ever anticipated."

Esme gently ran her hand over Daniel's hand, feeling her own protective nature coming out on Bella's behalf.

Carlisle woke Bella up wiht the news. While Bella found it hard to believe that it was actually happening and she was returning home, she was overjoyed and relieved. To be sitting in the backseat of Carlisle's car with Daniel beside her in his car seat felt like a dream. She wasn't going to miss the white-sided house. It was never 'home'. She was finally going home.

* * *

 ** _A/N_**

 ** _Wow! What a response to the last chapter! You all just blew me away with the interest and comments. I'm really glad you're enjoying this. Thank you soooo much! Please keep reviewing as I update to know that you're still with me. :)_**

 ** _As for this chapter - we've had the time jump and Bella is heading home. It's been almost 2 years(going on 23 months) since she's been in Forks and it'll be an interesting coming home, especially considering what everyone has assumed has happened to her...and of course, that will vary between Charlie and the pack. We'll also see a bit of what's been going on while she's been gone._**

 ** _I'll be away for the weekend, and then begins my vacay! I'll update a little less regularly, but I'll still aim for once to twice a week...not the every 2-3 days like I've been doing lately._**

 ** _Until then..._**


	9. Chapter 9

**_A/N - Sorry for the delay - had a busy, extra long vacay! Thank you for all the reviews!_**

* * *

Jacob was pissed. But that was nothing new. He was always in a bad mood. For someone who once prided himself on his ability to calm himself down to phase back quicker than anyone else, lately Jacob seemed to spend more time on four legs than on two.

Once upon a time, he was a ray of sunshine; a guy with a perpetual smile always on his face. Jacob had that infectious laughter that put everyone around him at ease. He found the positive in a seemingly hopeless situation. And then one day, all of that changed.

The sunshine smile was gone.

In the weeks and then months after Bella broke up with him, the pack did their best to cheer him up but for Jacob, nothing seemed to dull the pain that settled in his chest. It was his constant companion and it was driving him, and ultimately, the pack crazy. For someone who hadn't imprinted, Jacob was certainly behaving as one who had. Not only was the pack concerned for him, but Billy was as well.

Many nights, Jacob wouldn't come home and Billy would end up calling Sam in concern. What Billy wasn't aware of was that Paul and Jared would find Jacob, completely wasted with a girl on his lap at a bar in Forks. They'd bring him home to Sam's and had him sleep off his short-lived hangover on his couch before sending him on a rigorous patrol as part of his punishment. Jacob seemed to enjoy the misery; commenting that it helped numb the pain somewhat.

It wasn't until Harry's death that Jacob suddenly woke up from his apathy. It was a rude awakening and one that Jacob was relieved he had sooner than later. As much as he hurt from what Bella had done to him, he couldn't imagine the pain of loosing Billy. He had watched that pain as Seth and Leah experienced the loss of their father through their own thoughts. Jacob had gone home and apologized profusely to Billy for being so absent. While Billy was understanding, he was still concerned that it seemed that Jacob still hadn't gotten over his break up with Bella. The littlest things would set him off. Some days, Billy could see the anger brewing beneath the surface and for his father's sake, Jacob was bottling it up. Eventually that cork was going to blow.

And blow it did!

Right into Paul Lahote's face.

' _Paul! I told you to go left!'_ Jacob shouted in his mind before he rounded about to head back towards where Paul and Quil were regrouping by the river.

' _Yeah, and I told you, the bloodsucker was going to go right and head back towards La Push. But it's all good cause Quil took my left.'_

 _'It's not all good cause, Quil and I needed your help, you idiot!_ _If you hadn't had your head so far up your ass with your brain centred on all things that have to do with sex and my sister, we could have caught that blond bitch.'_

Paul snarled.

' _Go to hell, Black! Don't you come at me with bullshit like that when we all had to endure weeks of you pining over loosing your Leech Lover! At least I have a girl who is satisfied enough and wont leave me for a fucking bloodsucker!'_

 _'Paul, man, that's low,'_ Quil commented, overhearing the heated argument in his mind. He knew how hard Jacob had taken his breakup with Bella when she first left him. Despite Quil phasing for the first time less than a week after she up and left, it only took him a few minutes of seeing Jacob's memories to know the details behind what happened and how much it had impacted him.

' _Stay out of this, pup! No one asked you!'_ Paul quickly snapped.

When Jacob didn't respond any further, Paul automatically assumed that he had phased out. While a part of Paul was cocky enough to imagine that he had caused the up and coming Alpha to break down and cry like a baby, another part of him was suddenly concerned for his pack brother and thought that maybe Quil was right and he had taken it too far. But Paul wasn't one to relent when insulted, no matter who they were.

Paul soon discovered that his concern was unwarranted when a familiar russet wolf suddenly collided straight into him, momentarily startling him and driving them both down a muddy embankment from the spring runoff and into the river.

 _'Fuck you, Paul!'_

Jacob bared his teeth while Paul growled back at him and raised his heckles. The pair circled each other in the water, snarling and growling just as Quil arrived and looked down the embankment. When he saw Jacob lunge at Paul, attempting to snap his jaw at his neck, Quil ran off back to Sam's in fear that they would rip each other apart.

A few minutes later and one word from Sam in their minds caused the pair to stop in their tracks. Their chests were still heaving as they snarled at each other.

' _Both of you, calm down and get your asses back here. NOW!'_ Sam's order bellowed in their minds. He was profoundly ticked and mumbled about how he felt as though he were taking care of children.

Twenty minutes later, Jacob pushed angrily through the treeline behind Sam and Emily's place, his shoes squishing with every step he took. The few remaining pieces of mud were beginning to dry and crack on his skin. Ten meters behind him, Jacob could hear Paul as he stomped, equally pissed and mumbling profanities about being wet and Jacob having ruined his only pair of shoes.

Jacob looked ahead at the house and saw Sam was standing on the porch, his arms crossed over his chest. The scent of breakfast being made inside the house caused his stomach to growl but based on the expression on Sam's face, it looked like neither Jacob or Paul were going to be eating anytime soon.

Sam clenched his jaw.

"What the hell happened out there?"

Jacob gestured towards Paul with his thumb.

"This brilliant genius here didn't listen to what I told him to do. Quil and I needed the back up."

"I don't have to listen to you. You're not my Alpha!" Paul growled at him.

"Jacob was your leader during the patrol," Sam reasoned harshly. "You were to listen to him."

He paused and looked to Jacob.

"And you - if you're going to resort to name calling and insulting those around you, I'll make sure that you'll never lead a patrol again."

"I'll give an amen to that!" Paul stated, glancing up at the sky above.

Ignoring Paul, Jacob growled and stepped towards Sam.

"He fucking ignored me and ticked me off with his ignorance!" Jacob admitted.

Paul snorted. "Everything ticks you off."

Jacob glanced back at Paul behind him.

"Only when someone is being a jackass."

"Enough!" Sam shouted, seeing Paul about to open his mouth to make a smart comeback to Jacob's petty insult.

He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration

"Paul, go home."

Paul hesitated, knowing that behind Sam, there was bound to be a kitchen with bacon, eggs and hashbrowns. He could smell each and every delicious thing that Emily had prepared that morning thanks to his superhuman nose. But one look from Sam was enough to tell him that he wasn't going to be getting any closer to that meal today.

With a sigh, he grumbled under his breath and turned to head back into the woods. Searching for a pick-me-up after the morning he had, he thought of Rachel and the fact that Billy was out fishing that morning before he headed towards his imprint's house.

Sam watched after Paul as he disappeared into the woods.

"Sam, I know you're upset about what happened out there," Jacob said, clenching his fists at his sides.

"You're damn right I'm upset. You're supposed to be in training to be our Alpha and I feel like I'm going in circles with you sometimes."

"It's Paul...he just ...he makes me so angry sometimes."

"But Paul is right, you know."

Jacob quickly looked up at Sam, surprised and confused at his admission.

"Right about what?"

"You're always pissed off."

Jacob smirked, and chuckled under his breath.

"No, I'm not."

"You're quick to anger; probably more so than Paul. With Emily being newly pregnant now, I was hoping that I could pass the Alpha position to you, but I just don't feel comfortable doing that when you're unable to control your temper long enough to lead the pack."

Jacob clenched his jaw.

"You can't keep Alpha from me. It's my birthright."

"Jake, I know but your Dad and the elders agree with me," Sam continued. "Until you can finally get some closure over... _her_ , I'm going to continue as Alpha."

 _Her_.

Jacob knew who was laced beneath that word - Bella. No one dared utter her name around him. Paul seemed to be the only one brave enough to do it and even then he resorted to the moniker of ' _Leech Lover'_ , finding the name ' _Bella_ ' repulsive after what she had done to his pack brother.

" _Her_...you mean...Bella." Jacob paused and scoffed. "I got over her a long time ago. I'm over it. I've moved on."

"I don't think you really have. I've seen your mind and your thoughts. You're still angry at her for what she did to you and honestly, I don't blame you at all for it. But Jake, it's been months...it's been nearly two years and it's still affecting how you interact with the pack and with everyone around you. We're worried about you."

Jacob groaned and rolled his eyes.

"If you want me to be happy and be full of sunshine and shit rainbows, I'll do that. I can be the Alpha that everyone expects me to be."

"No, Jake," Sam said shaking his head. "It's not something that you can fake. If you're going to take over as Alpha, you need to be able to handle the role and everything that comes with it. With that bloodsucker that keeps coming around, you'd need to be at your best and right now, you're just not ready."

Jacob huffed, grinding his teeth before taking a step towards Sam.

"You can't do this to me," he snarled, his eyes glaring at Sam. "I've worked hard. I've done everything you've wanted me to do with no questions asked."

"I'm not saying you haven't. But at the same time Jake, you haven't been living. It's like your life just suddenly came to a stop when...when she left. You have to move on. You've been going through the motions and I know..."

"No, you don't know! Bella ripped my fucking heart out and threw it back in my face!" Jacob shouted, his face within inches of Sam's, yet the Alpha remained solid and didn't move. Jacob could feel the heat of his impending phase slither up his back.

"Tell me Sam - how the hell do I move on from that?!"

Silence spread out between them before a soft voice suddenly answered the question left hanging in the air.

"You don't."

Jacob, shaking in anger looked over to where Leah stood with Seth standing worriedly at her side. Jacob met Leah's eyes, seeing the understanding. He knew that Leah could relate to how he felt; although she had never voiced it to him, Jacob could see it in her eyes.

With a sigh and his jaw clenched tightly together to keep himself in one piece, Jacob glared back at Sam before turning to head into the woods. He needed to run off some steam before he went home. There was no way in hell that he'd be able to sleep with all the pent-up anger within him.

While Sam looked on in concern, Leah raced after Jacob as Seth walked up to his Alpha.

"Is Jake going to be all right?"

Sam sighed, not certain how he should answer the younger man.

"I hope so."

The door behind them suddenly opened and Emily rushed out, her face frightened as she held the portable phone out towards Sam.

"Sam, it's Aunt Sue. I think something's wrong. I can barely hear her."

Seth's eyes widened with the mention of his Mom's name as Sam quickly took the phone.

"Sue? What's going on?"

He listened carefully to her whispered words over the phone. Sam could understand now how Emily couldn't hear. He had to concentrate but could make out her barely audible words. His eyes widened slightly when he understood.

"No! Sue, stay right there and Seth and I will be over in a few minutes," he told her, glancing over at Sue's son who seemed to be trying to overhear the conversation. A sudden crash came over the phone and then he heard the dial tone.

"Mom's alone at Charlie's. We gotta go, now!" Seth growled impatiently. Sam nodded in agreement before passing the phone back to Emily.

"Call Jared and Embry and ask them to cover patrol for Seth and I until we get back."

"Sam, what's wrong?"

"Someone has broken into Charlie's house," Sam quickly replied racing after Seth into the woods towards Forks.

* * *

It felt strange to be back, but at the same time Bella felt as if she had never left Forks. Riding in the backseat of the taxi with Daniel as he slept in his car seat beside her, Bella looked out at the buildings as they passed through the small downtown area. There were a few new stores along the Main Street, yet there were others that looked exactly as she remembered it. Considering how much she and her life had changed since she had last been home, two years hadn't left much of a mark on Forks.

The sun was just coming up over the horizon. While it seemed that the town was just waking to a new day, Bella was still on Atlantic time and she was exhausted. She hadn't slept at all during their ride with Carlisle and Esme to Halifax's Stanfield International Airport. Bella had felt the heavy unease in the car. While Carlisle drove, Esme's eyes seemed to have constantly scan the evening landscape around them for signs of Edward following them as they drove through the small towns that litered the highway towards the provincial capital. Finally during her red-eye flight from Halifax to Seattle, Bella closed her eyes but she was still well aware of her young travelling companion resting against her chest and she wouldn't allow herself to settle into a restful sleep.

Daniel had done well, despite him not feeling well. Bella had bought him a muffin at the airport which he refused to eat. To Bella's relief, he nursed for quite some time during their final flight from Seattle to Port Angeles until he dozed off on the nearly empty plane. Daniel also didn't put up a fuss when she strapped him into his car seat within the taxi after they landed.

"Must feel good to be home," the taxi driver said softly, conscious of the sleeping boy behind him. He glanced up at Bella through the rear view mirror. "Can't say that I've ever been this far out from Port A, but Forks seems to be a nice, quiet place."

"It is," she agreed softly with him, running her fingers through Daniel's soft, unruly hair as he slept beside her.

When they pulled up in front of her house, the first thing she noticed was that Charlie's police cruiser wasn't in the driveway. Bella felt a sudden disappointment to find that Charlie wasn't home. Although it was early for him to be at work, it was completely possible that he had been called in.

She also noted that parked partially on the grass was an older model navy blue Ford Explorer that she had never seen before. That wasn't the only thing that caught her eye. Her old, red pickup truck was gone and in its place sat an old gray and white fishing boat sitting on a trailer. The outboard engine was missing from the stern and a few tools were sitting along the porch beside it.

It looked to be an impressive little fishing boat and the taxi driver even commented on how well kept it seemed to be for its relative age.

While the driver continued about wanting to buy a similar boat someday, Bella's heart suddenly lurched. She had recalled how Charlie would talk in a similar fashion, pointing out a certain boat in a fishing magazine while she'd do her homework in front of the television beside him. Charlie would go on and on about how much fun it would be to have a fishing boat of his own and even stated that when the time came, Bella could join him for its maiden voyage and spend the afternoon fishing with him - a sort of father/daughter trip. At the time, Bella had cringed, not wanting to be anywhere near water, let alone spend tedious hours sitting in a boat fishing. Her mind, time and focus had been fixated on Edward Cullen.

How the times had changed.

Now, she'd give anything to get that time back to spend with Charlie. In those moments as she stepped out of the car, she suddenly realized just how much she had missed her Dad, hearing his exagerated fishing stories and their quiet banter. Bella had longed just to hear his voice those few times that she attempted to call.

Looking up at the house as she walked around the taxi to get Daniel out of the car, her eyes noted that there were a few new flowering bushes in front of the porch and Charlie had added some flower boxes along the railing. Bella was well aware that Charlie didn't have a green thumb - he had no clue what the difference was between an annual and a perennial and was liable to kill a potted plant.

Seeing her son still asleep, Bella picked Daniel up out of the car seat and held his head gently against her shoulder, praying that he stayed asleep for her. As she turned to head towards the porch, she noticed that the driver had already pulled out her one duffle bag from the trunk and had placed it by the front door. He quietly gestured to the car seat as he passed Bella, telling her that he'd grab it for her.

Bella had barely heard his words as she stared up at the front door while she walked towards it. All at once, memories flooded back at her; so much had happened in that house. Bella had never thought that it would be nearly two years before she'd open that door once again.

Carefully balancing Daniel against her shoulder while holding her old keys in her hand, she unlocked the door. The house was dark and quiet. As tempted as she was to turn on the entryway light, she wasn't wanting to deal with the crying of a sick and jet lagged baby when she was just as tired as he was. The taxi driver seemed to sense Bella's desire for silence, so tapping her on the shoulder, he gestured to the floor beside her and gently placed her duffle bag and the car seat beside her.

Bella smiled her thanks before closing and locking the door behind her. Holding Daniel against her, she slipped her shoes off before walking further into the house. Bella took a deep breath, feeling the sense of home as she heard every squeak and creak that the old floor boards made under her feet. Walking into the living room, she paused.

Charlie's lazyboy was still in its position across the room, facing the television, and the couches were exactly the same. Either than a new coffee table and a new throw blanket on the couch, it looked the same as she remembered it.

Carefully side stepping around the coffee table, Bella gently bent over and placed Daniel on the couch. He continued to sleep soundly, his mouth not even sucking the pacifier that was resting between his lips. His dark eyelashes rested against his cheeks and Bella couldn't help but lean down and kiss them. Not wanting to disturb him further, she placed some pillows around Daniel to keep him in place from rolling and headed back to grab her duffle bag by the door. Bella was eager to get some rest with Daniel, knowing that she wouldn't be getting any sleep when Charlie came home from work later that day. While she hoped that Charlie would be glad to see her, she knew the reality was that he'd be upset. Charlie had every reason to be and unfortunately, she wouldn't have much of an explanation that she could offer to him. Bella could never explain her behaviour when it came to leaving home in the first place. She could only hope that he'd be forgiving and understanding through it all.

Bella picked up her duffle bag, intending to head upstairs to the bathroom when the entryway light suddenly flicked on.

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Bella gasped and spun around to see a woman with wild yet frightened eyes, holding a baseball bat defensively in one hand and a portable phone to her ear with the other. While she now knew that it was impossible, Bella's mind couldn't help but think that she had finally returned home to find Victoria waiting for her.

But upon seeing the woman's pin straight black hair, russet skin and pajamas, Bella relaxed slightly while memories of a dinner over two years ago at the Black's house caused her to place the face.

Sue Clearwater.

As though Sue suddenly recognized Bella as well, shock swept over her face and she gasped. The portable phone slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor at her feet in a crash as she slowly lowered the baseball bat. Her eyes quickly darted from Bella's face down her body to her feet before locking onto her eyes once more.

"Oh my god...Bella?"

Bella nodded with her hand against her chest, willing her heart to return back to its normal pace.

"I'm...so sorry for scaring you like that. I wasn't expecting someone to just walk into the house, especially you."

"What are you doing here?" It was the first thought that came to Bella's still-frantic mind.

Sue had the exact same thought about Bella but she was still in shock to see her, living and breathing. For all the Quileute elders and wolf pack assumed, she had been turned into a vampire by the Cullen's shortly after she left Forks. Sue was relieved that they had been wrong but also wondered that since Bella was there, could the Cullen's be far behind? After having heard the creaking footsteps in the house, Sue was glad that she chose to call Sam rather than the police to alert him that someone had broken into the house. If the Cullen's were nearby, she'd much prefer to have a werewolf at her side.

"Your Dad and I...we've been...seeing each other for a while now."

That revelation took Bella by surprise. She had never known Charlie of having more than one date with a woman let alone getting into a relationship serious enough that someone would be staying the night. But it was obvious that Sue had been. All the small additions to the house and the changes, Bella suddenly realized that it had been at Sue's influence. A smile finally came to Bella's face.

"That's great. I'm happy for you and Dad," she told her, much to Sue's surprise. Not too many people were supportive of the relationship. A few older, staunchy Quileute's weren't pleased that she found companionship with someone who wasn't from the reservation while others thought that she had moved on from mourning Harry's death a little too quickly.

Leah hadn't been as supportive of the idea of her Mom pursuing a relationship with Charlie Swan. While Leah admitted that she was glad that her Mom had found someone to spend her time with, she still found it difficult to watch her Mother show outward displays of affection towards a man who wasn't her Dad. Leah took Harry's passing extremely difficult considering it was her phasing that ultimately caused his heart attack.

"Speaking of Dad," Bella continued, "I'm guessing that he's at work."

Sue quickly bent over and picked up the portable phone off the ground, putting it to her ear to hear the dial tone before she shook her head.

"No, no, he's off today. He's gone fishing early this morning with Billy Black."

Bella smiled weakly at the mention of Billy, remembering her last short conversation with him over the phone and his words, telling her that she was no longer welcome in La Push and to never call again.

"Bella, not to sound indelicate, but what are you doing here? We all thought that you were with Edward Cullen."

Bella shook her head, considering her words and how much to say before she spoke.

"Not anymore. I left him. That's one of the reasons why I came back. There was a..."

A loud wail suddenly cried out within the house. While Sue was surprised and momentarily distracted by the strange sound, Bella cursed softly, dropped the duffle bag to the ground and brushed past her heading straight for the living room where she had left Daniel. When Bella rounded the corner, she saw the little boy sitting up on the couch, sobbing with his pacifier in his hand. Bella quickly picked him up and Daniel instantly sought Bella's comfort and put his head on her shoulder, before sticking his pacifier back into his mouth, hiccuping softly while Bella rubbed his back and spoke soothingly to him.

Bella swayed slightly, as she had done so many times when Daniel would be upset or feeling unwell and turned to see Sue staring at her, a look of confusion and surprise on her face. Daniel seemed to notice that someone else was in the room with them and turned his head to find out for himself who it was. With tears still on his face, he leaned his cheek against Bella's chin and hooked his small arms around her neck.

Sue gasped audibly and covered her mouth with her hand. Bella had noticed her reaction and wasn't surprised at all by it. She knew that coming home with a baby in tow was going cause a few to scratch their heads or possibly even initiate some rumours, especially considering Daniel's complexion as well as his age.

"Bella, who's this?"

Bella took a deep breath.

"This is Daniel - my son."

There it was. The confirmation that Sue had been waiting for that she knew deep down was true. She had seen Bella in the baby's brown eyes the moment that Daniel looked at her. They were piercing but they held an inquisitive and serious stare that she had seen elsewhere before.

"Your...son," Sue spoke it out loud, still in disbelief. Slowly, she walked towards where Bella stood with Daniel in her arms. "I'm surprised that Charlie never mentioned anything about him."

"My Dad...he doesn't know. I could never get ahold of him to let him know."

For a moment, that took Sue by surprise. But then, she recalled in the months following Bella leaving Forks and Harry's death, more often than not, Charlie would be found in La Push, drinking his sorrows away in the company of Billy Black. For a while, no one dared leave him alone and Charlie would often find himself sleeping over night in the Black's spare bedroom. It was no wonder that Bella couldn't get ahold of him.

Sue smiled weakly and gently brushed her hand over Daniel's head as he rested it back against Bella's shoulder. It was obvious that the little boy was tired and Bella looked equally exhausted. Sue could only imagine how much they had travelled through the night. Her concern over the possibility of the Cullen's being nearby disappeared when she felt heat coming from the baby's small head.

"Bella, I think he has a fever."

Bella nodded, rubbing her hand against Daniel's back. "He's been fighting a cold for the past few days and he has pneumonia too."

"Oh, poor thing. Maybe I'll make some of my special chicken noodle soup today," Sue cooed softly at Daniel before looking at Bella. "I used to make it all the time for my kids whenever they'd come down with something and it seemed to help them get better quicker."

Bella smiled. "He'd probably like that. Daniel loves noodles."

Sue looked at the little boy who, although had his head resting on Bella's shoulder, had his eyes locked on Sue's.

"And Bella, I'd be willing to watch him so you can get some rest before Charlie comes home. He shouldn't be too long. They couldn't take the boat today. The motor is still shot."

Daniel's head suddenly popped up off of Bella's shoulder at the mention of a boat and he pulled the soother out of his mouth.

"Bo!" Daniel said, his sick eyes twinkling despite the snot and tears on his face.

Bella chuckled. "Another thing that he loves. Daniel could watch boats all day."

Sue smiled. "That's something that he certainly has in common with his grandfather."

Seeing her smile at him, Daniel grinned before sticking his soother back into his mouth and rested his head back on Bella's shoulder. In that briefest moment, Sue saw it; a smile that she'd recognize anywhere. She had seen it on the face of an old friend who passed away well before her time and it had been ages since she'd seen that smile on that woman's grown son. To see it reflected on the baby in Bella's arms made Sue's heart skip.

She knew that she was loooking at Jacob Black's son.

Just as the thought entered her mind, someone pounded on the front door before two familiar deep voices bellowed loudly, calling out for Sue to respond. Sue quickly realized that Sam had arrived and as relieved as she was, she also desired that they didn't break down the front door.

Leaving Bella and Daniel in the living room, Sue rushed through the front hallway and unlocked the front door before opening it to see both Seth and Sam standing on the porch, barefoot and half-naked, their noses flared and their eyes wide.

"Mom, what's going on? Are you okay?" Seth asked worriedly, as his eyes seemed to look past her and into the house curiously.

"I'm fine, Seth," Sue said with a broad smile. "It was just a misunderstanding."

Sam's was taking deep breaths, a growl rumbling through his chest. "A misunderstanding? Then why is there a strong leech smell coming out of the house?"

Sue shook her head, and sighed, looking past the pair on the porch towards the woods. "I can explain, but first, is Jacob nearby?"

"No. Why? What does he have to do with this?"

"I don't think he'd take it lightly knowing that Bella's here."

Seth and Sam paused at the mention of Bella's name and stared at her.

"Bella Swan? You mean, she's here? In the house right now, with you?!"

"Sam, don't worry. She's still human."

Sam took a deep breath and clenched his jaw angrily. "But if she's here, that means the Cullen's can't be far behind. Sue, we need to get you back to the reservation. We can't protect you...if they're here..."

While the sudden sound of Daniel's deep, junky coughs caused Sam's tone to change, Sue seemed to not even take note of the sound. Sure she had heard Daniel cough, but at the same time, it didn't distract her like it did to Sam and Seth.

"I don't think they came with her," Sue told them, not recognizing that they weren't even paying her any attention but instead their ears were focused on the sounds coming from inside the house. "I think something happened between her and Edward Cullen that caused her to come home."

"Sue, who else is here?" Sam asked, his eyes looking past her. "I heard someone coughing."

"Oh, that's just Daniel. He's sick right now."

"Daniel, who?"

Sue sighed.

"Daniel is Bella's son."

"Bella has a son?!" Seth exclaimed, a smile coming onto his face before it quickly disappeared. "Dude! Jake's going to be livid when he finds out."

"Jacob's not going to find out, about Bella or her son," Sam said with a growl. "He's been through enough. Bella's hurt him enough as it is."

Sue winced. "While I may agree with you there, Jacob may want to know about this."

"Why?"

With a soft gesture from her head, beckoning them to come in, Sue led the pair down the hallway and into the living room where Bella stood with her back towards them, swaying lightly as she hummed a tune to Daniel. The baby seemed to be in the midst of falling asleep, his feather duster eyelashes resting against his small cheeks while his mouth sucked at the pacifier.

While it took a moment for Seth to register what his Mom was implying, Sam saw it right away. More importantly, the wolf beneath the surface recognized the child for who he was; an Alpha's heir. As confused as he was about how everything came about, he couldn't help but suddenly feel protective towards the baby in Bella's arms.

"Holy sh..."


	10. Chapter 10

Sam quickly reached out and slapped the back of Seth's head before the kid could even finish cursing in shock. Regardless of how surprised they both were, Sam wasn't going to allow the language. It wasn't just for Sue's sake, whom he knew didn't appreciate the influence the pack had on her son when it came to cursing, but for the child in the room. Sam had to admit that the same words were on the tip of his tongue. Never in a million years would he have guessed that Bella Swan would one day return to Forks alone, still be human, and arrive with a baby that he knew without a shadow of a doubt, belonged to Jacob. The idea was just too far fetched to even consider, especially given the finality within the letter that Bella had left behind for Jacob.

But here she was.

As Bella turned upon hearing Seth's partial exclamation and subsequent yelp from the slap to the back of his head, Sam's eyes locked on the little boy. The baby resting his head against her shoulder stared back at him, his brown eyes inquisitive, yet with a deep pensive expression that nearly mirror'd the seriousness he'd seen on the face of Billy Black. Although the baby seemed to have Bella's brown eyes, behind them he could easily see the rich Black heritage.

Within seconds, Sam's looked at Bella, his wolf compelling him to ensure that she was indeed human. He could hear her rapid heartbeat and her breathing. One thing that still concerned him was the fact that both Bella and her baby carried the nauseating stench of leeches. It was so strong that they must have been dangerously close to vampires within the past day. To know that Bella had Jacob's child dangerously close to leeches caused an anger to rise up within Sam. He began to wonder if perhaps Bella's declaration that she had left Edward Cullen was even true. Perhaps the Cullen's had come with her. The pack had no reason to trust Bella, especially after being aware of her past aquaintance with the vampire family and her sudden change of heart when it came to her feelings for Jacob.

Sam crossed his arms and stared hard at Bella. Ironically, he was met with the same intense glare from Bella. He knew that she recognized him and certainly still accused him of sucking Jacob into his 'cult'.

Beside him, Seth smiled. He was happy to know that Charlie's daughter didn't succumb to the fate that the pack had envisioned. He was excited; no, elated. Sam could feel the waves of happiness pour off of him. Seth couldn't wait to tell Jacob the news. Perhaps then, his friend's persistent anger and crappy mood would finally come to an end. No one could be upset to find out that they were a father and the girl whom he thought left him for someone else has returned alone...could they?

"Hey Bella," Seth said, gaining her attention as her eyes softened upon looking at him.

Sue smirked at her son's exhuberance, but was somewhat concerned by the hard glare that Bella had been giving Sam. She cleared her throat.

"Bella, you remember Sam Uley and my son, Seth."

While Sam simply gave her a curt nod in greeting, Bella's attention turned to the shorter man standing beside him.

Oh my god. This was Seth?

This wasn't the little fourteen year old that she remembered. The last time she had seen him at Billy's house was for spaghetti night. Bella remembered Seth as being the kid who would hang off of Jacob's every word. He had idolized him as the big brother he never had. Since that time, he had certainly grown. Although Seth had physically gotten bigger and taller, his boyish smile had remained the same. But her heart sank when she noticed that Seth was dressed exactly as Sam standing stoically beside him - barefoot, cutoff shorts, hair cut short. Seth had gotten himself tangled within Sam's gang just as Jacob had. Bella smiled sadly at him, wondering how Sue could sit back and just let it happen. If he was Daniel, she would have fought tooth and nail to keep him from slipping into Sam's clutches.

"Of course. But I remember you being a whole lot shorter. What are you, like 16 now?"

Even as she said it, she couldn't believe it. Seth looked to be at least 22. He wasn't a teenager - she was staring at a man.

"Not yet. My birthday is next week."

"Happy birthday. Any big plans?"

"Some friends are throwing a bonfire for me next weekend." Seth paused and smiled as a thought came to his mind. "Why don't you come."

The sound of Sam suddenly clearing his throat beside him caused the smile on Seth's face to fade. The kid bashfully rubbed the back of his neck with his hand, glancing quickly over at Sam as though waiting for some sort of authorization to speak any further. Except Sam wasn't going to give it to him. As far as Sam was concerned, Bella was a Cullen and she wasn't welcome anywhere near La Push. Sam knew that Billy had made that clear with her when she had called a year ago. At the same time, Sam was certain that Billy was unaware that he was also extending that same exclusion to his grandson. The child in Bella's arms was from his tribe; as young as he was, Daniel was pack and Sam's Spirit Warrior could feel that connection to him. Unfortunately, because of Bella association with the Cullen's, the child ultimately wouldn't be able to come onto La Push land if he were accompanied by her.

This was one big fucked up mess.

"Thanks for the invite, but I think it's best if I don't," she replied, looking back to Seth, sensing that she wouldn't be a good idea based on Sam's expression. There was no doubt that he shared Billy's feelings when it came to her not being welcome in La Push. Bella ran her hand over Daniel's soft hair, holding him a little tighter to her. "Besides, I'll have this little guy to look after."

Seth stepped away from Sam and walked towards Bella, his eyes on Daniel who stared back at him from where he rested his head against Bella's shoulder.

"His name's Daniel, right? How old is he?"

Bella nodded, guessing that Sue had told them that she was there with her son when they arrived at the door.

"He's almost 14 months. He turned a year in February."

A smile grew on Seth's face before he held his hand out towards the little boy.

"Can he high five?"

Bella nodded. "He's not feeling well right now, so I don't know if he'll..."

As she spoke, Daniel lifted his head off her shoulder and reached out with a fisted hand, tapping Seth's open palm bashfully.

"Whoa! What a hit!" Seth joked, rubbing his palm with his other hand. "Do it again."

Seth held out his palm once again and Daniel gently hit his hand, this time with his hand open.

"Ouch!" Seth feigned pain, causing Daniel to giggle behind his pacifier, his tired, congested eyes scrunching up in amusement. "Nice high five!"

Sue chuckled beside where she stood Sam, watching her son bring a smile to Daniel's face.

"Seth's a natural when it comes to babies and kids. Leave it to him to get Daniel to laugh when he's sick and over tired."

Bella laughed, watching as Seth covered his own eyes with his hands. Daniel reached out and grabbed Seth's fingers, trying to pry them from his face. Seth quickly uncovered his face and let out a loud 'boo', causing Daniel to giggle.

"I can't get over how much he looks like Jake when he laughs," Seth said, causing the smile on Bella's face to slip away. She didn't expect anyone to notice so quickly.

"Wait...how...how did you know that he was Jacob's?"

Seth shrugged and grinned.

"It's kinda obvious, Bella. Daniel looks just like him when he smiles."

It was the main characteristic of Daniel that looked so much like Jacob. Bella looked at Sue and Sam, finding neither of them seemed surprised by Seth's words.

"You all knew?"

"I recognized it the moment I saw Daniel," Sue answered with a soft smile. "He does have your eyes, Bella, but everything else screams Jacob Black."

"Those Quileute genes can be pretty strong," Seth said, as he continued to interact with Daniel. "It's amazing to see Jake's smile again though. It's been so long since I've seen it."

Bella's heart fell with his words.

"What do you mean?" He heart suddenly began to pound in her chest at the thought that something terrible had happened to Jacob. "Where is he? Is Jacob okay?"

"He's..." Seth began before looking back at Sam. He let out a sigh, seeing the look on Sam's hard face, knowing that his Alpha wasn't going to allow him to say much more. Bella wasn't in Jacob's life. According to Sam, she had no right to inquire about him as though she cared. Seth took a deep breath and pursed his lips.

"Jake's fine."

"But you said..."

"Bella, why did you come back?" Sam interrupted, purposely diverting the conversation from Seth but he was also wanting to know the answer behind her sudden arrival.

"This is my home," she stated as a matter-of-fact. If he was going to be blunt and rude, so was she. "I don't think I need a reason and if I did, it would be none of your business."

Sam sighed deeply, his chest rising beneath his arms.

"Are the Cullen's coming here as well?"

Bella snorted, suddenly remembering the old stories that Jacob told her that the Quileute's had regarding the 'Cold Ones' and the Cullen's.

"Is this about your superstitions? I thought you'd be too old to believe in ghost stories."

"Indulge me," Sam told her, through clenched teeth.

Bella let out a curt sigh.

"For your information, Daniel and I came alone. As for the Cullen's, I don't know where they are."

"I find that hard to believe. What about your precious, Edward Cullen?"

Bella scoffed at Sam's words, finding herself becoming angry at the insinuation behind them. Never again would he be her 'precious' anything.

"I could care less where he is. I'd be happy if I never had to see him again." Bella paused, looking at Daniel, giving him a light kiss on his head while bitter tears coming to her eyes. "He wanted to raise Daniel as his own. I couldn't do that to my son. I missed home so much and Daniel deserves to know his father and the tribe in which he comes from. I would've come back sooner but I couldn't until now."

Sam felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of a bloodsucker raising Daniel. Based on the expression on Bella's face as she looked lovingly at Daniel, there was no doubt in his mind that Bella wouldn't have allowed that to happen. Because of that, Sam was starting to find it difficult not to believe Bella when she spoke so passionately against Edward Cullen. As convincing as she was, he just couldn't take her word; at least, not yet.

"Why did you even leave in the first place?"

 _It wasn't safe for anyone with me here. I had to protect my family from a blood thirsty vampire who would hurt anyone I was close to._

If she had said it aloud, they'd think that she was crazy, not only for her reasoning behind staying away for so long but also for the fact that she believed in the existence of vampires.

"It's a long story," she replied with a sigh. "But I will tell you that it had nothing to do with Daniel. I had no clue that I was pregnant with him when I left Forks. Now that I'm back, I want to set things right, especially with Jacob."

Seth looked back at Sam, almost pleadingly. He wanted to tell her the truth about what Jacob had gone through. Finally, Sam nodded.

"Bella, he didn't take your break up well. He's not the same guy that he was before. He's changed; bitter and angry at everything." Seth answered, solemnly.

Bella let out an uneasy breath, and lightly rubbed Daniel's back. She felt the tears threatening to come to her eyes as she imagined how Jacob had reacted to the letter that Alice had left for him. She knew it would be bad based on what Charlie had told her in that short phone call after she left, but to hear it from someone else, pulled at her heart.

"This is all one big misunderstanding," Bella said softly. "I need to explain it to him."

Sam shook his head. "You really hurt him with the letter you left behind."

"That damned letter," she cursed under her breath, holding Daniel close to her. "I didn't even leave it."

That revelation caught them all by surprise.

"I don't understand. You didn't leave the letter for Jacob?" Seth asked.

"I did," Bella admitted contradicting what she had just said. "But it had nothing in it that implied me wanting to break up with him. I still love him. Alice switched it for the one that she wrote."

"Alice? Who's that?" Sue asked.

"Edward Cullen's sister."

Sam began to connect the dots. While it still didn't explain why Bella had left Forks, he had a suspicion that that same leech was somehow involved in her leaving as much as the letter that Bella claimed was left behind on her behalf.

"Did she know who Daniel's father was?"

Bella snorted.

"I don't know. I'm pretty certain that she knew that Jacob and I had been together. She came over to visit and was quite insistent about trying to convince me that Jacob wasn't safe to be around."

Seth looked over at Sam, calculating and speculating in his unspoken conversation with Seth. Bella noticed their shared expression before she continued.

"I'm not going to pretend that I'm not upset about how you sucked Jacob into your gang two years ago, but if you have any kind of decent bone in your body, you'll let him talk to me...if only to clear things up with him and to let him know about Daniel. He deserves to know that he has a son."

Sam took a deep breath and crossed his arms at her insinuation that he had some sort of control over Jacob's when it came to his desire to speak with her.

"Bella, there's a possibility that he may not even want to speak with you. He wont admit it but he's still pretty upset."

"Even if he'll just listen, I'll take my chances."

After a beat, Sam nodded assuring her that he'd get ahold of Jacob while Bella let out the breath that she wasn't even aware that she was holding. She had been waiting for the opportunity to talk with Jacob for months.

Knowing that it would still take time, Sue insisted that Bella get some rest. While Seth offered to look after Daniel while Sue helped her get settled upstairs, Sam slipped into the kitchen and picked up the phone to call Jacob. He knew that he kept his cell phone on vibrate when he was running in the woods in the event that Billy would need to get ahold of him. When Jacob's automated voice came up, Sam wasn't surprised. Jacob tended to avoid calls coming from Charlie's. He had nothing against the man, but Sam knew that any interaction with Bella's father brought back too many memories. Regardless, he left a message telling Jacob to call his cell phone as soon as he could. And he left it at that.

With Daniel resting comfortably against his shoulder, Seth walked into the kitchen just as Sam hung up. A smile pulled at Sam's mouth seeing the youngest pack member with a small baby wearing only a diaper and a shirt sleeping soundly against him. Sue was right - Seth was a natural when it came to children and babies.

"Did Jake answer?"

Sam shook his head.

"We're going to have to keep all of this between you and I for the time being. Jacob needs to hear about his son from Bella herself before the entire pack does."

"She's still in love with him," Seth said happily. "Bella wouldn't have come back if she didn't. I can't wait for Jake to find out that she's back. He'll be so happy."

Sam looked at him warningly.

"Don't get your hopes up. That chip on Jake's shoulder is big. I really do doubt that he'll be happy to see her. I'm hoping that I can at least convince him to talk to her."

"What if he doesn't want to?"

Sam sighed. "We'll cross that path when we get there."

He paused and looked at Daniel. The baby's lips were parted as he slept and he could hear him breathing through his mouth.

"Do you believe her about what she said about that Cullen leaving the note?" Seth whispered, not wanting Bella to hear or Daniel to wake up.

"I don't know. I'm finding it hard not to believe," Sam admitted. "It's like she's finally seen them for who they really are. If only for that, I'm glad she's finally come to her senses."

"Do you think she knows about us? I mean, there's no doubt that she can't not know that they're vampires. But do you think that maybe they mentioned something about us, especially if that Alice was trying to convince Bella that Jake was dangerous?"

"I don't think so," Sam replied, glancing up at the ceiling, hearing the footsteps in the rooms above them. "She still believes like Jake, Quil and Embry once had, that I've sucked him into my own personal cult."

Seth smirked before Sam sighed, looking at Daniel as the baby reached up and rubbed his stuffed nose before settling back once again.

"I'm going to head back to La Push. We have Claire's old playpen at home. If Bella's sticking around, he'll need something to sleep in and Daniel will probably sleep better in that than on you."

Seth nodded, his warm hand covering Daniel's small back.

"In the meantime, I want you to stick around here and watch over the house, just in case that the Cullen's happened to follow Bella back to Forks."

Seth didn't seem upset about having to stick around Charlie's house. It was no surprise to Sam that he was enjoying Daniel's company even though he was asleep. Just like Jacob once was, the little boy was a ray of sunshine no matter the circumstance. Sam shook his head in amazement and chuckled before heading out the door.

* * *

Bella had only slept for 2 hours, but it had felt like 7. As short as it was, she hadn't had that good of a sleep in months. She wondered if it was the familiar surroundings, or the knowledge that Victoria was no longer a threat to her and her family or maybe it was because she was no longer in the company of someone who had the tendency to watch her as she slept. Whatever it was, Bella was thankful for it. She felt refreshed.

As she sat up, she suddenly heard the happy sound of Daniel giggling until he screetched loudly in excitement. Concerned that he was possibly disrupting Sue and Seth's day, Bella quickly stood up. The rich smell of bacon and eggs hit her the moment she opened the door. It only got stronger as she got closer to the kitchen. Rounding the corner, Bella was greeted by the most adorable sight that she had seen in a long time.

Seth and Daniel were sitting on the kitchen linoleum floor with dishtowels around their foreheads, passing a ball back and forth. Sue stood smiling at them, with her back towards the stove while the bacon sizzled on the pan behind her. She noticed Bella walk in and smirked at her son's antics.

"They've been at this for a good fifteen minutes now - doing the same thing over and over."

Wearing only a diaper and t-shirt, Daniel pushed himself up onto his unsteady legs and slowly walked barefoot across the floor with the ball in his arms. He had a huge smile on his face before stopping a foot in front of Seth to throw it at him, bouncing it off his head. Seth slid sideways onto the floor and feigned passing out, causing Daniel to burst into a fit of giggles, coughing every so often. He laughed so hard that he knocked himself onto his diapered bottom. Still not noticing that his Mom was watching their play, Daniel crawled over to Seth and leaned down onto the ground so he was looking at him, face to face. With his finger, he poked Seth's nose causing him to suddenly open his eyes. Squealing in excitement, Daniel quickly crawled away before his eyes noticed Bella at the door.

Forgetting their play, he crawled over to her. Bella picked him up, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Were you playing with Uncle Seth?" She looked to Seth and Sue. "Daniel hasn't been too much trouble, has he?"

Seth beamed at the moniker she gave him as he pushed himself up to stand.

"Oh, he's been wonderful," Sue told her as she turned down the stove and covered the frying pan with the lid. "I think the bit of sleep he got helped him feel a bit better. He woke up without a fever."

Bella took the dish towel from Daniel's head and felt his forehead, feeling the coolness of his skin against her palm.

"How did you sleep?" Seth asked, pulling the dish towel off his own head. "You weren't in bed for all that long."

Bella shrugged. "It was fine. Better than I've had in a long time actually. How about this little guy? I hope you didn't have to hold him the entire time while he slept.

Seth shook his head. "Sam came by with a playpen. We set it up in the living room. Daniel slept in there for a little over an hour before he woke and then the two of us hung out for a bit while Mom started making breakfast. He's still been coughing a bit but his fever was gone when he woke up."

Bella told them about the antibiotic that she had given him last night during their trip back to Forks. She had hoped that it was finally kicking. A few more days and he'd be back to normal.

She had asked about whether Sam had mentioned anything about Jacob. While Seth explained that it was still early in the day, he knew that when Sam finally did track him down, he had his work cut out for him when it came to convincing Jacob to even consider talking to Bella. As happy as he was for his friend, he was concerned that Jacob would avoid her. Regardless, it was obvious that Bella was eager to talk to him.

That wasn't the only thing on her mind.

Bella spoke of what she would tell Charlie when he would soon return home. As hopeful as she was, Sue could see an anxiousness within her. Sue could understand that worry - she, herself wasn't certain how Charlie would react to his daughter being home and he, suddenly being a grandfather.

They didn't know then that they wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

Wanting to keep her occupied, Sue had encouraged Bella to take a shower since breakfast wasn't ready yet while Seth eagerly volunteered to keep an eye on Daniel. He enticed the little boy with the ball, easily luring him away from Bella. She watched Daniel for a moment, as he walked unsteadily on his feet, reaching out towards the kitchen chairs before dropping to the ground in favour of crawling towards Seth. Bella took that opportunity to slip away and quickly headed upstairs.

Only a few minutes had passed between when the shower started up above them and when Sue suddenly noticed a familiar cruiser pull up in the driveway.

"Oh no," she said, quickly wiping her hands on the dish towel on the counter.

Seth heard his Mom and he looked up at her, concerned.

"Mom?"

She turned. "Charlie's back and he has Billy's with him."

They weren't expecting both of them.

"Mr. Black is here too?!"

Seth pushed himself up to stand and picked up Daniel before he peered out the kitchen window. Sure enough Charlie was in the process of pulling Billy's wheelchair out of the trunk before he met his friend on the passenger side of his car.

"What do we do? Bella's still in the shower," Seth said, watching as Billy settled himself in his wheelchair before Charlie closed the door behind him.

"Stay in the kitchen with Daniel," Sue said firmly, turning off the flames on the burners for safety sake. "I'm going to stall them until Bella comes down."

Sue only hoped that Bella took shorter showers than Leah did, otherwise it could get awkward in Sue's attempt to keep the two men from coming into the house. Seth gave her a nod before she walked out of the kitchen. With a deep breath, Sue opened the front door just as Charlie was pulling the wheelchair up the front steps.

"You guys are back earlier than I was expecting," she said with a friendly smile. Neither Billy or Charlie noticed her anxious tone nor the fact that she seemed to stand protectively in front of the closed screen door.

"Well, the dock out at the lake was getting full as the morning went on. We decided to head back sooner and have breakfast together."

"So you didn't catch anything?"

"Between the two of us, we caught six but we had to throw them back," Charlie replied, groaning as he pulled Billy over the last step. "It would be nice if I could get the boat motor back from the repair shop in town. We would've been able to head further out."

Sue smiled. "Charlie, it's only been a week. This is a busy time of year. Gus told you three weeks minimum to get it done."

Billy chuckled as Charlie turned him on the porch to push him forward toward the house.

"And I heard that's only because you decided to fiddle with it when you got impatient."

Charlie pursed his lips. "Well, I would have called Jacob on this, but he's still not returning my calls."

Billy sighed.

"Don't take it personal, Charlie. The kid's been going through a rough time."

"Hey, I get it," Charlie admitted. "He's not the only one."

Sue smiled and walked up to him, slipping her arm under Charlie's.

"And just like Jacob, you're never alone."

The sudden sound of pots crashing onto the floor was loud enough that they could hear it out on the frot porch. Concerned, Charlie turned, prepared to head into the house when Sue sidestepped him and stood between Charlie and the door. Billy was equally worried and turned his chair.

"Oh, that's just Seth making the noise," Sue explained to them with a chuckle. Still, Charlie looked past her, sensing that something more was going on.

"Seth's here?"

Sue nodded. "He came over for breakfast this morning. We made quite the spread. If you'd like, I can bring some out here for you two and you boys can enjoy the morning air together."

It was Charlie's turn to chuckle.

"Sure, that is if there's anything left to eat after Seth's gotten to it."

While Billy shared in the joke, Sue simply smiled and nodded.

"I made sure to put some extra aside."

"Well then, let me help you," Charlie said, reaching over her shoulder to open the door.

"No," she stated, a little sharply before smiling apologetically. She raised herself up on her tiptoes and kissed his lips. The kiss seemed to linger a little longer than any other kiss she had ever offered him in public. "Let me do this for you two."

Sue quickly turned and headed back inside before Charlie could argue with her, leaving him staring after her in surprise. She quickly made her way into the kitchen to find Daniel sitting on the ground with some plastic containers while Seth was in the process of refilling a cupboard.

"What happened?"

"I put him down for just a second and Daniel opened the cupboard, pulled out one pot that sent them all falling onto the ground. I had to give him those," he said, gesturing to the plastic lids and containers around where Daniel sat, "so that I'd be able to clean this up without his help."

Sue sighed, stepping over the pots while Seth continued to clean up. She quickly filled up the plates to nearly overflowing, preventing any chance of either of the two men from having to come in for seconds anytime soon. Sue was just about to turn when she heard the sound of the shower turning off above them. Silently, she thanked God.

Picking up the plates, she looked back at Seth pleadingly. "Try to keep him out of trouble. When Bella comes down, tell her what's going on."

Seth nodded, continuing to pick up the pots while his Mom headed back outside. She pushed open the screen door while the two men were in mid-conversation. She didn't catch their conversation as she handed each of them a plate full of eggs, bacon and hasbrowns.

"This smells wonderful, Sue," Billy admonished.

Charlie nodded, "It certainly does. You really..."

His words were cut short as a sudden bang followed by a loud baby's scream echoing from inside the house. Feeling that piercing cry scare the crap out of her, Sue gasped and quickly turned, before racing back into the house. Daniel's cries only got louder as she approached the kitchen. She rushed in to see Seth holding Daniel, bouncing him lightly as his hand ran gently over the back of his head, searching for a bump or evidence of blood.

Seth expression was frantic. He couldn't help but panic that Daniel had really hurt himself and it was his fault for not watching him close enough.

"Mom, I don't know what happened. He must have pulled up on the chair and pulled it down on himself. I didn't even see him crawl over to the table," he said quickly and loudly over Daniel's sobs. "There's a bump on the back of his head."

Hearing his explanation, Sue quickly rushed to the fridge freezer and searched for an ice pack, before suddenly remembering that Charlie had taken them with him in the cooler to the lake. All the while, Daniel continued to cry, big tears running down his cheeks as he sobbed.

"What's going on? Is everything okay in here?"

Charlie's voice rang out loudly over the chaos in the kitchen, looking confused and concerned. His eyes zeroed in on the unfamiliar baby crying in Seth's arms.

"I need the ice packs from the cooler that you brought with you to the lake," she told him, ignoring all prior concerns in keeping Charlie out of the house. Her medical training had kicked in and Daniel had become her priority. "He hit his head off the floor."

Not knowing who the child was, but seeing the seriousness on Sue's face and hearing the baby screaming, Charlie nodded and quickly turned to head back out the door. He had to step around Billy who was holding the screen door when Charlie pushed it open.

"What's wrong?"

"The baby hurt himself and needs an ice pack."

Billy was confused and looked on while Charlie raced out to the cruiser's trunk . "Baby? Whose baby?"

His question was answered as Billy pushed himself over the threashold and came into the house in time to see a woman rush into the kitchen. He had seen her for only a brief second but in that time, his mind couldn't believe who he had just seen. Quickly, Billy rolled himself further down the hallway to find out for certain. He could hear Seth's worried tone and the baby begin to calm slightly as he approached the kitchen.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. It was an accident. I think he was using one of the kitchen chairs to pull himself up to stand and he pulled it down on himself."

"He has a small bump on his head. But he'll be fine," he heard Sue say.

"It's okay, baby. Momma's here."

Billy recognized the voice but simply couldn't believe that he was actually hearing it.

"Is there an ice pack in the freezer?"

"Actually, I just asked Charlie to get one from the cooler in his car."

There was a pause.

"Dad's here?"

As Billy came around the corner and saw her with his own eyes, he knew that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. Bella was in the kitchen; alive and appearing to be holding a toddler tightly against her chest. Confused and suddenly finding he had more questions than answers, Billy quickly looked to Seth, finding the young man's surprised eyes had locked on him the moment he had appeared in the doorway.

"Uh, yeah," Seth replied, awkwardly. "But he's not the only one."

Hearing something unusual in Seth's tone, Bella looked to him to see Seth gesture towards the doorway of the kitchen. Slowly, she turned, her eyes widening upon seeing Jacob's father sitting in his wheelchair, staring at her in surprise.

"Billy."

Bella wasn't even certain if she had spoken it aloud or simply breathed his name in shock.

"Hello Bella," he said equally surprised.

Billy looked at her in disbelief, before his eyes were drawn to the little boy who suddenly turned from Bella's shoulder to look at him. The baby seemed curious about the new deep voice he had just heard.

For a brief moment, Billy assumed the child belonged to someone in La Push, given his Quileute features but then he saw it - the similarity between the two pairs of eyes looking at him. He simply couldn't believe it. As much as he wanted to curse out in shock, he smiled for the baby's benefit, who finally appeared to have calmed down.

"Who is this?"

"Daniel," Bella replied softly, as the toddler wiped his runny nose with his hand and hiccuped a few times.

At the same time, Charlie's heavy footsteps sounded up the front step and he quickly opened the front door.

"Sue, I got them! You're gonna want to wash them off first, they've got..."

Charlie's words were lost to him the moment he came up beside Billy and looked into the face of his daughter, whom he hadn't seen or heard from in nearly two years. Charlie felt as though the wind had been knocked out of him and he dropped the ice packs to the ground. Startled, Daniel quickly turned, whimpered fearfully at the sudden loud noise and wrapped his arms around Bella's neck while she gently rubbed his back, her eyes still locked on Charlie's.

"Hi Dad."

* * *

Edward had never been so livid.

Not even when he had seen James crouching over Bella, his fangs plunged into the flesh of her arm had he been so angry. Carlisle and Esme had ruined everything he had worked for; everything he had hoped for.

After getting a phone call from Alice, Edward had run back to Pubnico, his feet moving swiftly over the land. He pushed himself faster than he ever had before. Although he kept to the shadows, the woods and the unpopulated areas of Nova Scotia, it had taken him nearly three hours to get back from where he had been hunting. Even as he neared the white-sided house that he and Bella had lived in for nearly 22 months, he knew that what Alice had told him over the phone was true.

Bella and Daniel were gone.

He searched through the house, going room by room and found a portion of Bella's clothes, Daniel's clothes, his car seat, some diapers, the photographs that Bella kept near her bed and the old dreamcatcher that she had insisted they hang above Daniel's crib were all gone. Silence was the only thing she left behind for him and it was consuming.

Defeated, Edward fell back onto the couch and ran his hands over his face before he let out a frustrated groan. This wasn't what he wanted to have happen. Daniel was his son and Bella was in love with him, no matter how much Bella denied him.

Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number, waiting impatiently for the call to be picked up.

" _Edward_."

Carlisle sounded like he had been expecting a call from him.

"How could you take my family from me?!"

He sighed.

" _They aren't your family. Bella is not your wife..."_

"Carlisle, she loves me."

" _And Daniel is not your son_. _It was only fair to send them back home to where they belong."_

Edward scoffed, squeezing his hand slightly over the small cell phone.

"They belong with me. I'll just go back to Forks and get them."

The way Edward spoke made it sound like it was going to be easy.

" _Edward, please don't go back. You'll just make things worse. Let Bella live her life the way she wants. That was the reason why you left her in the first place two years ago - you wanted her to live a human life, remember?"_

Edward didn't seem to hear Carlisle's reasoning.

"I can't believe this. You're supposed to be on my side."

" _We are on your side_ ," Carlisle stated. " _If you try to take Daniel or Bella, I fear that the wolves may retailiate against you."_

"You mean, Jacob Black. He is a danger to Bella and Daniel. The wolves have no control and will end up killing them," Edward growled, imagining Jacob's head being ripped from his body.

Carlisle tried to plead to Edward in the seconds before he hung up the phone on him. In his anger, Edward crushed the phone within his fist, before slowly loosening his grip, dropping the pieces onto the couch beside him.

"I wont let that dog touch my family."


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N - Thank you so much for the reviews and lovely comments! They certainly make my day.**_

* * *

 _'Jake! Jake! Come on, Jake! Stop running! I'm not in the mood to chase you into Canada.'_

 _'Then go_ _home, Leah! I don't need you bugging me! I don't need anyone!'_

Just like all those other times when he flew off the handle, Leah ignored him and kept racing after him, finding her speed to be an asset in catching up with the young Alpha-in-waiting. She wasn't about to let him get away; not now and especially not after how she saw how unhinged he was when he was talking with Sam. Leah was determined to keep her unspoken promise to Jacob. She wasn't going to let him go his pain alone.

It had all started shortly after she had phased for the first time. Leah didn't want to be anywhere within 100 miles of Sam and Emily and their sickening love-fest. Just looking at them made her want to throw up and seeing her cousin in Sam's mind felt like a punch to her chest. Leah was angry...no, she was fucking pissed off. Sam had apologized profusely to Leah, claimed that he still cared about her and in the next breath, said that he just couldn't live without Emily. It hurt like hell and no one seemed to care; no one understood. She was tired of the pitying glances from strangers and her Mom's reassurances that it wasn't her fault in Harry's untimely death. As much as she wanted to get over Sam and move on from all of the hell she was living, she couldn't. Her Dad was gone and she was stuck with Sam in her head. It felt like a life sentence of torture.

One afternoon, when she couldn't take any more of the crap, she had run through the woods, desperate to get away from everything and anyone. Leah suddenly stopped when she came across Jacob, punching the living daylights out of a tree trunk. His backed heaved with every breath he took. While she knew that his issues lied deeply in the fact that Bella Swan had left him for a leech, the fact that his knuckles were bloody and that she could smell the salty scent of tears gave her pause.

Sensing that he wasn't alone, Jacob turned, his face full of anger and tears, and he demanded harshly that she leave him be. As he slunk down onto the ground against the mangled tree trunk, Jacob dug his bleeding hands into his hair and sobbed quietly. If he were any other person, Leah would have gladly granted his request and took off. But she knew what he had gone through with Bella; hell, she had teased him mercilessly about it as it seemed to dull her own pain. But suddenly seeing him so broken with raw emotion, she felt a kinship to Jacob that only she could understand. They were both hurting; lost. She could relate exactly to how he felt when Sam broke up with her for Emily; how she still felt. But just like her, Jacob's constant bad mood and anger at people who got on his nerves came with a price and this was it - solitude. And Leah knew better than anyone that that was when the demons would come to haunt you. Jacob was too good of a person. He had reminded her so much of Seth; he had too much happiness deep down within him for her to allow him to go down that dark path.

Instead of leaving Jacob alone, Leah had quietly walked up to him and sat down on the ground a dozen feet away as Jacob quietly sobbed. Leah never comforted him - she just sat. He'd look up at her darkly through his tear-clouded eyes, expecting for her to viciously tease him.

"What the hell do you want?" He had growled deeply.

Leah shrugged. "Nothing. I thought I'd just sit here with you."

"I don't need you."

"I know you don't. I'm just sitting here."

He had eyed her curiously and scoffed, rubbing his nose with his hand before standing up and stalking back towards his house. Leah followed at a distance until she was certain that he was at home with Billy.

While at first, Jacob didn't understand whether or not Leah had motives behind doing it, he had to admit that he appreciated knowing that she was there for him. The rest of the pack had voiced it in their thoughts and words, and tried to cheer him up, but she had been the only one who had done anything meaningful. It wasn't much, but it spoke volumes. In turn, Jacob began keeping close to her, ensuring that he had her back when the guys acted like assholes. They could relate to each other's pain in ways no one else could.

It was an odd camaraderie that they kept to themselves. Leah would tease and sarcastically commend him in his effort in bottling up his emotions while Jacob would fip her off before going for a run with her at his side. She'd curse back at him and they'd continue their banter in that way. Leah began to think of Jacob as a brother; as close as she was to Seth. From that time forward, Leah felt a loyalty towards him that she just couldn't explain.

Desiring to now be alone, and not be followed anymore, Jacob came to a sudden stop and snarled as Leah approached him.

' _I'm not going to fight, asshole. So, you can threaten me all you want,'_ she told him. ' _Running isn't going to help. You need to stop acting like a baby! You'll never be Alpha this way!'_

 _'Go to hell, Leah! You sound just like him.'_

Leah didn't need to now who the 'him' was. She saw the sudden image of Sam in her head and she growled.

' _I'm nothing like that bastard! He is weak!'_

Weak.

That wasn't the first adjective that Jacob would use to describe Sam. He knew first hand that both the man and the wolf were far from weak. Jacob had fought with him on occasion, both in play and in anger. But he knew that the weakness that Leah implied was towards Sam's inability to fight against his imprint towards Emily.

Imprinting had taken its toll on Leah. No one despised it more than her. While it seemed that everyone was suddenly so supportive and accepting of Sam and Emily's relationship, Leah felt all the more ostracized. At a time when all she wanted to do was avoid the sickenly happy couple, her damn genetics had sucked her right back into Sam's life. Life just didn't seem fair. To have her be compared to Sam was a low blow and Jacob knew it. Leah was a survivor. Her heart had been riped out, ran over and pulled apart and she was left to pick up the pieces; alone. She had gotten stronger because of it; bitchy perhaps but that may be just a lasting repercussion of it all. Never again was she going to put her heart out there for someone.

' _Sam doesn't know what the hell he's talking about._ _You should have just punched the jerk,_ ' Leah stated.

' _And where would that have gotten me? Double the patrol rotations_ with _Jared...or worse yet...Paul.'_ He shook out his heavy russet fur coat. ' _They have imprints!_ _I'll be damned if I have to look at Jared's memories of having sex with Kim on her parents couch or...see my naked sister in Paul's head.'_

' _It can't be any worse than watching Sam go at it with Emily.'_

Jacob calmed down, as he suddenly heard it within Leah's voice. It was barely audible but he recognized it as she had spoken similarity to him before. It was pain thinly veiled behind anger.

 _'_ _Yeah, you're right. Sorry.'_

Slowly, the air shimmered around Jacob as he shed the primal power of the wolf in favour of his humanity. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Leah had disappeared somewhere, no doubt phasing in private as she always had. Jacob quickly untied the strap around his ankle and stepped into his cutoffs.

"You better be covering up your junk," Leah warned him humorously, her eyes closed as she skillfully made her way towards him. "I don't want to be seeing any of that shit."

Jacob smirked darkly as he finished buttoning up his shorts.

"Oh, come on, Leah," he called out. "I know you like it."

"Fuck off, Black. I've seen enough of your ass to last me a lifetime," Leah teased, opening her eyes as she approached him.

"Seriously though, I am sorry for what I said," Jacob said.

"Whatever," Leah told him flippantly. "I'm over this imprinting shit. They can take all that love at first sight stuff and shove it up their asses."

It seemed that the pack was dropping like flies when it came to the mystical phenomenon. Quil had been the latest victim; imprinting on a child that had sent the pack reeling for a few days while they sorted things out. The assumption from the elders that the purpose of imprinting was for combining genetics to produce the most powerful wolves was officially debunked with Quil's imprinting on young Claire. It seemed twisted to even think about.

Jacob looked around them, recognizing that it appeared that they were somewhere just inside Olympic National Park. Based on scent, they were no where near the marked trails and there were no people within a five mile radius.

Leah sat down on the ground and stretched her legs out in front of her. Jacob followed suit beside her and laid down, resting his head on his arm as he looked up at the blue sky above.

"Can I tell you something? You can't tell anyone."

Leah turned to him.

"Sure."

"I love the guys and all, but sometimes their imprint thing drives me nuts. It's like an excuse for all the kinky things they do. I just want to hurl when walk in on any of them making out. Then they look at me like it's my fault that I caught them in broad daylight dry humping on my Dad's couch."

"Ewww!" Leah exclaimed before laughing aloud. "Paul and Rachel?!"

Jacob nodded.

"And Paul tried to make it seem like it wasn't that bad...saying that at least they had clothes on...like that makes it any better!"

Leah shook her head. "I curse the day that Seth imprints. God, I hope none of us holding out do."

"I wont be."

"You sound so sure of yourself."

"I overheard Dad talking with Old Quil - something about Alpha's being unable to imprint."

"You're not Alpha."

"Not yet," Jacob said with a sly grin. "And if Sam gets his way, I'll never be."

"Don't fucking throw a fit or anything cause I really hate to admit this, but I have to agree with the bastard," Leah stated bitterly. "Jake, I know you. You've got lots on your mind right now. The pack needs an Alpha who is able to handle everything on his plate and more."

Jacob clenched his jaw before Leah nudged his arm.

"So, suck it up, buttercup," she told him, bluntly. "You'll be Alpha someday."

"Just not anytime soon."

"Unfortunately not."

Jacob paused and looked at her as she closed her eyes, enjoying the sun on her skin. He carefully calculated how to say his next words.

"So, you and Embry...how's that going?"

Leah quickly turned to him, her face horrified. "What did that little pup tell you!?"

"Nothing. I kinda ran into you guys in the woods last week when I was on patrol. You and Em were hard to miss when all I heard was deep breathing and you saying his name over and over and him begging you to go faster."

Leah face-palmed, horrified. "Oh god."

"I had to keep on my shift for an extra half hour so no one else stumbled on you two...it smelled pretty strong out there."

Leah slowly looked over at him.

"Does anyone else know? You didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"Hell no! It's none of their business. And as for Em, I know him - he's pretty loyal. His memories have been locked tight."

"Thank god," she breathed.

"How long have you guys been having sex?"

"Two months or so."

A small smile pulled at Jacob's lips. "I thought something was different about you. You seem, happier."

"Don't read into it. It's just a casual thing between him and I."

"Sure it is," Jacob said, not entirely convinced.

"Embry's a good guy. I can trust him and he makes me feel good."

"In all the right places, am I right?"

"Shut up," she teased, flipping him the bird. "You know what, Black, I think you need to get yourself a woman."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I tried that once. It didn't work out too well. Remember that girl that Paul set me up with?"

"The busty blond from Forks?"

Jacob nodded while Leah cackled beside him.

"She's the one that you called Bella halfway through dinner, right? And then you suddenly left shortly after that."

He groaned, wincing slightly at the horrible memory. "It's like I just can't get over her. No matter how hard I try. She's starting to ruin my life even though she's not even in my life anymore. It's driving me crazy."

Leah paused for a moment.

"Maybe you should talk to someone..."

"Like a shrink? I think they'd put me in a padded room the moment I start talking about the inner wolf."

"Shut up and let me finish, loser!" She exclaimed, slapping his arm. "I was talking about Old Quil. The guy may be a bit looney and is probably smoking some pretty good shit, but he might be able to figure out if it's something that your wolf is trying to tell you."

"What could my wolf be saying in torturing me about Bella?"

Leah shrugged and looked up at the sky before she stood up, eager to change the subject before it got too touchy for her liking.

"I need to run before we head home. Wanna join me, Slow Poke?"

Jacob angled his head to look at her. A rare smile appeared on his lips before he stood up. Leah was already dashing into the woods before he was on his feet.

* * *

When Charlie had woken up that morning, his plans for the day were simply this; go fishing and enjoy the first sunny April day that Forks had had yet. He didn't expect that it was also the day that he'd walk into the kitchen after being gone fishing since the crack of dawn to see Bella standing there.

It was a shock to his system, one that his head was still trying to wrap itself around. Charlie's eyes quickly scanned the young woman standing in front of him in order that his mind could understand that it was actually Bella that he was looking at.

Waves of emotions coursed through him as he looked at his daughter; relief, elation, confusion and finally, anger. Of them all, he was foremost relieved to see her.

Traitorous tears welled up in his eyes as he tried to think of something to say. When the baby in Bella's arms suddenly coughed, Charlie's attention was on him and he remembered the ice packs that he had dropped. Quickly, Charlie bent over and picked them up before handing them to Sue's waiting hands. He met her smile before he looked back at Bella.

"Bells?"

Bella smiled, enjoying the sound of her nickname coming from her Dad's lips. It had been so long since she had heard his term of endearment.

"What...what are you doing here?"

It wasn't the greeting that Bella was expecting from him, but then again, she wasn't certain what she was to expect after disappearing for two years.

"I came home," she replied weakly.

"Home?" He stuttered, his voice betraying himself. Charlie wasn't about to let himself get his hopes up. "You've come home? You mean to visit or to...stay?"

"To stay. That is, if that's okay."

Charlie scoffed and smirked before rubbing his nose with the back of his hand.

"Okay?" He asked sarcastically. "'Course it's okay."

He took three steps and wrapped his arms around her, tucking her head beneath his chin and he held her close to her. As upset as he was with Bella leaving like she had, he wasn't about to turn her away if she chose to come home. For Charlie, Bella would always be welcomed home.

When Daniel began to squirm in Bella's arms at being enveloped within the hug, Charlie pulled away in concern. He rubbed his nose once again, forcing his emotions back.

"And, uh...who's this?"

Given the obvious fact that the baby had a olive complexion, he found himself looking over at Sue and Seth for an answer, surprised to find that it was Billy who spoke from the doorway where he hadn't moved.

"His name is Daniel."

Charlie turned to Billy.

"Daniel?"

The baby in question turned his head at his name being spoken. Bella took a deep breath, not wanting Charlie to figure it out on his own but to hear it from her own mouth.

"He's my son."

Charlie blinked and simply stared before he shook his head, trying to gage whether Bella was pulling a prank on him. Seeing no hints of deception, he looked from Bella to Daniel and then back again.

"Your...son? You're serious? So, that makes him...my grandson?"

Bella nodded, before slowly turning and looked pointedly towards Billy.

"And Billy's as well."

Charlie quickly turned to Billy, surprise on his face as the two men shared an expression of shock. Billy ran his hands over his face finding her claim unbelievable considering her time apart from Jacob and his current feelings of animosity towards her. Meanwhile, Charlie was still digesting what Bella had said.

"So...Jacob," he concluded, finding his mind was still wrapping around all this news. "You and...Jacob. How? Wh...when?"

Assuming that Charlie was not really wanting to know the 'how', Bella answered what she guessed he was asking.

"I didn't know that I was pregnant with Daniel until after I left. I had him in Nova Scotia almost 14 months ago. No one here knows about him."

Charlie was overwhelmed. He shook his head and mumbled about the need to get a drink. As he made his way across the room to the fridge, Sue took the opportunity to pass Bella the ice pack that she had wrapped up in a dish towel. After a few attempts at placing it against the back of Daniel's head and having to fight against his hand pushing it away each time, Bella gave up. Sometime along the way, Seth had disappeared into the other room and brought back his pacifier.

All the while, Billy watched Daniel, his eyes transfixed on the boy in disbelief, looking for the proof he needed. Although Daniel had many Native American characteristics that certainly could conclude that he was Jacob's son; the dark hair, his complexion, to Billy, it wasn't enough. After everything Bella had done to his son, he just couldn't take her claim that this was his grandson.

The suddenly, he saw it. It was in a memory of when Jacob was that age; the way he would smile and it would show in the way his eyes squinted against his full cheeks. He saw that same smile as Seth held out the pacifier out towards Daniel. Billy watched as Daniel took it from his hand and shoved the pacifier into his mouth before resting his head beneath Bella's chin. The smile was so brief, and he barely noticed it but it was the proof that he had been looking for.

He gasped audibly before looking over at Charlie.

"Uh, Charlie, grab me one too, will ya?"

Bella looked up at Billy, finding his eyes watching her as she swayed lightly with her arms around Daniel. While Charlie passed a beer to Billy, Sue approached her.

"If you'd like, I can take Daniel into the other room so you and Charlie can talk."

Bella nodded, before she passed the little boy into Sue's arms. He protested a bit until Seth came up to him with a ball. The toy instantly changed his mind and soon, Sue was quickly taking the toddler into the living room. Seth and Billy followed after her, leaving Bella alone with Charlie.

"So, you're a Mom," Charlie began, leaning against the counter. "You're too young to be a Mom."

"And you're too young to be a grandpa."

The edge of Charlie's mouth turned upward. "Flattering."

He paused before he let out a sigh. "Bells, I just thought that you and Jake would know better and be more responsible when it came to things like that."

"Things like what?"

"Like...contraception...dammit Bells, I didn't think I'd have to have this conversation with you after you had a kid."

"Dad, I'm not upset about being anything. Sure, getting pregnant with Daniel wasn't what I was expecting, but I'd never regret it."

"Of course not, Bells and I'm not implying that. I'm just...a little overwhelmed here, that's all."

He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed.

"It's not everyday that I come home from a mornin' of fishin' to find my daughter that I haven't seen in nearly two years holdin' my grandchild that I didn't even know about." He paused and let out a breath. "Where the hell have you been? Why did you wait so long to come home, Bella?"

"It's complicated," she replied softly.

Charlie snorted.

"Complicated? Does Edward have anything to do with it? Where is he anyways?"

Bella sighed. "I don't know."

Charlie's eyes narrowed as he studied his daughter. "Did something happen between you two? Did that son of a bitch hurt either you or...Daniel, cause if he..."

"Dad, he didn't, I assure you. Edward made sure that Daniel and I had everything we needed. It was time to come home. I missed home."

"So, uh...you and Edward...you guys aren't together anymore?"

Bella shook her head. "We never were."

Charlie suddenly felt the need to sit down.

Bella quickly explained the note, the fact that Alice had exchanged it for one that she wrote. When Bella couldn't fully explain her reasons behind why she left Forks in the first place, Charlie had his suspicions that Edward somehow was involved. Charlie considered the possibility that perhaps Edward lured Bella away and somehow brainwashed her from coming home until she came to her senses and escaped. It was a far-fetched notion and although Bella never eluded to anything like that, Charlie began to wonder. After hearing Billy's ramblings years ago about how the Cullen's weren't good company to keep despite Charlie ever seeing anything to the contrary, he now began to wonder if perhaps Billy had been onto something.

While Charlie had always found Edward to be a bit suffocating in the way he was always with Bella, he had been simply content to know that Bella was happy in Forks. Knowing that Bella up and left Edward, Charlie was going to ensure that the Cullen boy stayed away from his daughter and grandson.

With a sigh, Charlie pushed himself up from his chair at the table.

"So, I think you should go find Jake and explain that whole mess to him," Charlie concluded. "And let him know about Daniel. It's important that he hears it from you."

Bella nodded in agreement.

"I will. Sam Uley said that he'd track him down for me."

"And you, and Daniel," he said, glancing out the kitchen doorway, "you guys are welcome to stay here as long as you like."

A smile came to Bella's face.

"We can find a crib at the second hand store and I'm sure that we can rearrange your room to fit it. We'll make this work."

"Thanks Dad," she told him, reaching up to hug him with both her arms this time.

"I'm just glad you're home, Bells."

"Me too."

As he hugged Bella, they heard the sound of Billy and Sue's laughter and Daniel's happy screetching coming from the living room. Curious, they walked together to see what was going on.

Suddenly seeing Charlie walk into the room, Sue went to his side and tucked her arm around him.

"Are you okay?"

Charlie simply stared at the little boy playing in front of the couch with a blanket over his head. Seth sat on the couch behind him and held it over him and when Daniel pulled at the fabric, he helped him pull it off. With wide eyes, Daniel looked over at Billy and exclaimed with a loud 'Boo'!

Billy feigned being surprised which sent Daniel into a fit of giggles.

"I'm good," Charlie said, a smile coming to his face. "I'm a grandpa."

"Yes, you are," Sue confirmed, watching as Daniel covered his head again.

"Scare Grandpa Billy again," Seth coaxed the little boy in front of him. With teasing eyes looking over the edge of the blanket, Daniel quickly pulled it down and gave a little jump as he shouted 'boo'!

Charlie chuckled, watching his best friend pretend to be surprised by a 14 month old hiding behind a blanket.

"Does he ever look like Jake," Charlie commented aloud.

Billy nodded in agreement while Bella walked around to sit on the couch beside Seth. Seeing his Mom had reappeared, Daniel lifted his leg in an attempt to climb up onto the couch with her. With a smile, Bella picked him up and stood him on her lap. That's when she noticed something.

"Oh my, Danny-boy!" She exclaimed, her nose wrinkling. "You stink."

Daniel looked down at her and put his hands together, laughing before he bent over and wrapped his arms around Bella's neck.

Bella excused herself with Daniel and headed upstairs to her bedroom where her duffle bag sat with the only belongings that she had brought along with her when they left Pubnico. She laid Daniel down on her bed and searched through the bag, finding that she hadn't taken nearly as many diapers as she thought she had. Only two were left.

That's not all that she saw in the bag.

She found Jacob's dream catcher that he had given her as a birthday present months before she took off. Daniel reached up for it, recognizing the shells and beads hanging from the intricately woven dream catcher that had hung above his crib. With a smile, Bella passed it to him, pleased to see that it was enough to keep him still while she quickly changed him.

Bella soon came back downstairs with Daniel, the little boy carried the dream catcher in his hands. She moved to sit down on the couch beside Seth.

"I remember that thing," Billy commented, his eyes watering slightly at seeing Daniel holding the dream catcher as he sat on Bella's lap. "Where did you get it?"

"Jake bought it for me for my 18th birthday. I've hung it over Daniel's crib since he was born."

Billy smirked and shook his head.

"Jacob didn't buy it, Bella. It was given to him by my father. My grandfather made it."

Bella's eyes shot over to the dream catcher that she allowed her 14 month old to hold onto. She felt horrible for allowing Daniel to hold onto a such a precious heirloom. Quickly, she pried it out of Daniel's hands. The toddler protested slightly but Seth quickly picked up the ball at his feet and passed it to Daniel beside him, instantly causing him to forget about the dream catcher.

"Oh god, Billy, I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea that it was a family heirloom."

Seth's mouth had dropped as he figured out the connection as to who made it.

"No way! Ephraim Black made that?"

While Billy nodded, Sue explained who he was to Bella.

"Ephraim Black was the last historically recorded chief for the Quileute nation."

Bella looked down at the dream catcher in her hands and held it out towards Billy.

"Jacob shouldn't have ever given this to me. You should have it."

Billy was surprised. "Why? Jacob gave it to you."

"But it belongs to your family."

Billy smirked and shook his head. "As far as I'm concerned, you and Daniel are family, just like Charlie here. And like your Dad, you and Daniel are always welcome in La Push. So keep the dreamcatcher. I'm sure that Ephraim would've been pleased to know that his great-great grandson sleeps beneath it."

As the morning went on, Daniel was the source of the entertainment in the house. After Bella put together a small breakfast for Daniel, she walked into the living room to get him, only to see Charlie sitting on the floor while Daniel handed him fishing magazines. To Charlie and Billy's delight, the little boy pointed out every boat within the magazine. Instead of stealing the little boy away, she simply passed Daniel a piece of toast, allowing the grandfathers to continue interacting with their grandson. Bella sat down on the couch and watched.

Every so often, Bella's eyes would drift to the clock. With each passing hour, she grew all the more anxious. Surely Sam had gotten ahold of Jacob by now. The possibility that Jacob just didn't want to talk to her hung heavily over her. A feeling of dread sunk in her stomach when she considered that perhaps he had moved on. While she still loved him, there was a good chance that he didn't feel the same. Based on Seth and Sam's explanation of how Jacob took their 'break up', she prayed that he'd be willing to be civil with her for Daniel's benefit.

Suddenly Sue came into the room, her purse slung over her shoulder and her keys in her hand.

"I'm running back to La Push to grab a lasagna that I have in freezer for supper. I'll be back shortly."

With the mention of La Push, Bella turned.

"Do you mind if I come with you and make a stop at the store in town? Daniel is almost out of diapers."

Sue shrugged and nodded.

"We'll keep an eye on this little guy for you and Billy and I will talk fishing boats with him. We'll teach him the difference between a Lund, a Princecraft and a Lowe ," Charlie said with a wink, as Billy picked Daniel up and sat him on his lap. Daniel held up a magazine with a boat in Billy's face and let out a loud 'BO!'

While Billy chuckled, Seth groaned and leaned back against the couch with his eyes closed.

* * *

The ride in Sue's SUV to La Push was uneventful and quiet. While Bella had been quite talkative while in Forks when Sue had dropped her off at the store to pick up the diapers, Bella could feel her anxiety rise as they crossed the boundary into the reservation. As much as it felt good to be back in a place that held so many good memories, a part of her was apprehensive aboout the possibility of encountering Jacob. Sue glanced over at Bella worriedly as they drove along, almost able to sense the young woman's growing nerves.

"Bella, I'll just be a few minutes," Sue told her just as she pulled up in front of her house.

Bella nodded silently as Sue climbed out. While Sue unlocked the door and disappeared into the house, Bella looked down the road. Just past a large pine tree she could make out the red siding of the Black's home. Taking a deep breath, she quickly undid her seat belt and climbed out of the car.

She didn't know how her legs kept moving; her head was telling her to stop, but her heart kept her going. Bella must have been moving quickly because before she knew it, she was standing on the front porch. For a moment she considered just turning around, but before she could move away, she was knocking on the door.

Hurried footsteps were heard inside the house and a deep voice echoed before the door was opened.

A woman with dark hair pulled up into a messy bun on her head peered out, confused as to why a Pale Face was all the way out in La Push. While the woman took a moment to figure out what was going on, Bella recognized her. Age had softened her womanly features.

"Rebecca?"

Her eyes stared at Bella, trying to place her face.

"No, it's Rachel."

A sudden recognition passed over Rachel's face before she scowled.

"As I live and breathe," she stated, looking at Bella from head to toe. "You have a whole lot of nerve showing your face around here after what you did to my brother."

Bella let out a sigh. She wasn't expecting to see Jacob's older sister here. Bella hadn't seen her in years.

"Rachel, is Jacob here?"

She crossed her arms and scoffed.

"You really think I'm going to tell you where Jake is? You can take your pale ass and go back to your Edward Cullen. We don't want your kind around here."

At the mention of Cullen, a steady thumping of footsteps within the house quickly came to the door. To Bella's surprise, a tall, dark, shirtless man suddenly appeared over Rachel's shoulder. Bella instantly recognized him. She had met him before, outside of the Ateara's store the last time she had been in La Push. He was a part of Sam's gang.

"Holy shit," Paul cursed. "Bella Swan. Come back to make more of Jake's life a living hell?"

Bella clenched her jaw.

"Where is he?"

Paul stepped past Rachel onto the porch and crossed his arms over his chest.

"You really think you have the right to be making such demands around here? Didn't Billy Black tell you that you weren't welcome in La Push?" He stepped closer to her, causing Bella to have no choice but to back up onto the gravel driveway.

Behind her, she heard Sue's SUV suddenly pull up and for a second she considered running to the passenger side. But Bella was determined to get answers.

"Jacob doesn't want to see you. Get the hell off our land," Paul growled at Bella.

He could hear Bella's heart beating in her chest and was anticipating smelling the scent of her being intimidated by him. Except it wasn't there. Bella glared darkly at him, her eyes piercing.

"You can't tell me what to do! I'm not afraid of you."

Paul leaned in closer to her, his lip having no choice but to curl up over his teeth, a deep rumbling in his chest as a snarl erupted from within him.

"Oh, you should be," he snarled.

Suddenly, Sue was at Bella's side. She quickly grabbed Bella's arm and pulled her back towards the SUV.

"Bella, get away from him," Sue warned, her eyes watching Paul carefully. It seemed to her that Paul wasn't doing a good job in calming himself down. She quickly looked at Rachel in the doorway.

"Rachel, call Sam! Right now!"

The young woman was about to turn into the house to call him, but it was not necessary. Her eyes caught Sam quickly running out from the trees across the road.

"Paul! Calm down!"

As Sam came near and placed himself between the volitile wolf and Sue and Bella, Paul's eyes widened. They darted between Sam and Bella, and he took a threatening step towards him.

Having seen Sam not at all surprised by Bella's presence caused Paul's temper to flare all the more.

"What the hell, Sam!? You knew she was fucking here and you didn't tell us!?"

"It didn't concern you."

Paul growled. "Didn't concern us?! Are you fucking kidding me!? Does Jake know?!"

"I've been trying to get ahold of him."

"You know he's not going to want to talk to her."

"I don't care," Bella suddenly stated, causing Paul's attention to turn back to where she stood with Sue's arm protectively on her arm. She was ready to pull her back in the event that her life was suddenly in danger. Although Sue knew that Paul wouldn't hurt someone, she wouldn't put it past him when it came to Bella Swan.

"I need to talk to him."

Paul snorted, a growl once again resonating in his chest as he glared darkly at her.

"It's all about what's good for you, isn't it. Did you know that Jacob hates you? He thinks that you're a vile, disgusting and ugly person. He wishes that he never met you! He regrets falling in love and having sex with someone like you!"

He watched Bella's face flinch at the words he used.

Sam put up his hand. "That's enough, Paul."

Paul wasn't about to obey, not when he noticed that his words were actually hurting Bella. Of course it would never make up for the torment he had to endure overhearing in Jacob's mind, but it gave him satisfaction that she felt a small percent of pain.

"You're lying," Bella said softly.

A small sardonic smirk pulled at Paul's lips when he saw Jacob and Leah suddenly come through the tree's across the road. They seemed to be in mid-conversation when Jacob suddenly came to a stop and stared towards where they all stood in front of his house.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?"


	12. Chapter 12

**_A/N - Oh my goodness! I'm just overwhelmed by the response! So, here's a super long chapter, dedicated to all of you who were kind enough to leave me a review. I wasn't anticipating crossing 100 anytime soon...you guys are awesome!_**

 ** _I have some news though - I'm on vacay again next week, for 2 weeks...it'll give me lots of writing time, but unfortunately, my wifi may be spotty. I'll certainly try my best to post at least twice in that time...we shall see._**

 ** _In the meantime, you know what to do - review!_**

* * *

It felt good to run alongside Leah. Her speed propelled Jacob to push himself harder than he'd usually go than if he were on his own. The Alpha within him enjoyed the challenge in keeping up with her.

Colours flew past them as they raced back towards La Push. Although there were no distinct markers to show the boundary of the reservation, the wolf internally recognized it the moment they crossed onto their land. As they had neared La Push, Embry and Jared's consciousness joined with their own.

For a moment, Jacob was confused, assuming that it were Sam and Seth who were to be on patrol.

' _They went to check on something with Sue at Charlie's,_ ' Embry explained. ' _Don't worry, Leah. It's all good though. Sam's come back and he told Seth to stay in Forks for now. They're going to be taking our shifts tomorrow.'_

Leah instantly proded them for information on exactly what was going on with her Mom. Neither Embry or Jared had an answer for her. Sam's mind had been locked tight, only giving them very little information but enough to assure them that Sue was all right before he phased out once again.

Leah wasn't satisfied with that.

Worried, she raced ahead, intending to call her Mom the moment that she got back. Jacob ran after her and came to a stop when they were within 100 yards of the treeline across the road from his home. He quickly phased and walked up to where Leah had disappeared to, giving her privacy to get dressed before walking the final dozen or so yards to the treeline.

While they walked through the brush, Jacob tried to assure her that everything was fine and that she was overreacting. He even went as far as telling her that as soon as she finished calling Sue, they'd order pizza. As tired as Jacob was from running a midnight patrol shift, his hunger always outweighed his need for sleep.

Leah agreed with him, finding that she too, was hungry.

But the moment they broke through the trees, all their plans came crashing down.

Leah's eyes instantly saw her Mom's SUV, a wave of relief washing over her knowing for herself that Sue was fine. She quickly recognized her Mom before she noticed the brown haired Caucasian woman standing beside her. Based on Paul's expression as he spoke to them, it was obvious that something was going on. She could taste the tension in the air and also saw it in Sam's stance as he stood protectively in front her Mom, and the strange woman.

They began to walk towards them.

"What the hell is going on over there?" Jacob asked Leah, just as Paul's eyes glanced over Sam's shoulder towards where Jacob and Leah were walking along the side of the road.

As though he suddenly realized something, Jacob came to a stop and sucked in a breath.

Paul saw this and glared down at the woman in front of him, his lip turned up in a sardonistic smirk before their keen ears heard him speak.

" _Why don't you ask him yourself?"_

With that, the brown haired woman turned towards them.

"It can't be," Jacob breathed. "It's impossible."

"Jake?" Leah asked, concerned to see his russet skin turning a lighter, pale shade. "You okay?"

He simply stared, shaking his head as he was still in disbelief over what he was seeing.

"It's...Bella," he said, barely audibly.

"Bella?" Leah asked, incredulously. Her eyes looked back at the woman. "Really? As in, leech-loving Bella Swan?"

Leah paused and tilted her head slightly, quickly regarding the infamous Pale Face beside her Mom. If Bella had in fact been turned into a vampire, she wouldn't have still been in one piece. Still, Leah took a deep breath, waiting to find that nauseating acidic vampire smell to invade her senses.

Nothing.

"Well, I guess we were all wrong when we thought she'd go bloodsucker. But still, the Leech Lover shouldn't be here. I thought she was banned from the Rez with the rest of the Cullen's."

No one heard her comments besides the shape shifters. Paul smirked, basking in the pack's shared dislike when it came to anything that had to do with the Cullen's and vampires. He watched Jacob's reaction; surprise, quickly turning to anger. Paul could see Jacob's arms begin to tremble at his side before the Alpha-to-be quickly turned on his heel to disappear back into the woods.

To all of their surprise, Bella pulled her arm from Sue's grasp and ran across the road heading to where Jacob had disappeared.

"Jake! Wait!" She cried out.

But before she could chase him into the woods, Leah quickly stepped in front of her and blocked Bella's path.

"He doesn't want to talk to you," Leah told her bluntly, her arms crossed defiantly across her chest.

Before Bella responded, Sam intervened.

"Leah!" He shouted. "Let her pass!"

Leah clenched her jaw, hating the power of the Alpha timbre in his voice and growled down at Bella before she reluctantly stepped aside. Bella pushed her way through the brush and into the woods, her voice echoing loudly for Jacob to come back.

Jacob hadn't gotten far. He had come to a stop when Bella had called his name, his heart instinctively speeding up knowing that she was actually here and it hadn't been his imagination. Even after nearly two years, Jacob's body still seemed to react to her, but it was the more rational part of him that reminded him of how he felt when she had left him and the words she had left him with in the letter - I don't love you. Jacob clenched his fists at his sides, his arms still trembling at his sides with thoughts of Bella reminding him that she chose to love Edward Cullen. He could feel that familiar heat lick up his spine, demanding that he give into his more primal side and embrace that overwhelming anger that had been his companion for so long.

Just as he was about to run off into the woods to let that beast overtake him, he heard her approach him from behind.

Shit.

Closing his eyes, he quickly willed the trembling in his arms to stop. Jacob reined in that anger to just beneath the surface, but he could only hold back for so long. He needed to get away from her, and soon.

"Jake?"

His eyes opened upon hearing her voice. He had to admit that it felt good to hear her say his name; it sounded so natural. She was close and downwind, and he quickly caught a scent that he decided was uniquely her own. He took a deep breath, both to further quench the anger that he felt for her sudden arrival but also for the chance to selfishly drink in that scent once again, trying to give it a name to something that he had smelled before.

Lemongrass.

Dammit. Why couldn't she smell horrid or smell like something he hated?

Jacob clenched his jaw.

"Go away, Bella."

Her voice hitched, hearing his words dripping with so much disdain. Sam and Seth weren't kidding when they had told her that Jacob would unlikely be wanting to talk to her. As Bella stared at his shirtless back, she couldn't believe that this was the same Jacob that she had remembered. He was taller, easily standing a foot over her and his body had filled out. He was more toned than she ever remembered him being. That wasn't what startled her the most - his voice had unexplicably changed. There was loathing in it; long gone was the light, carefree and easy tone that she had been used to hearing. Still, she continued, her own voice surprisingly strong despite Jacob's blatant desire for her to leave him alone.

"Please, we need to talk."

Jacob continued to breathe deeply, his back heaving with each breath he took.

"I have nothing to say to you."

Bella took a deep breath.

"Well, I do. I just need you to listen." She paused and let out an exasperated sigh. "Can you...can you please turn around? I'd rather not talk to your back."

Clenching his jaw, Jacob slowly turned and sighed, looking at her face before his eyes quickly raked down her body, his fists still clenched at his side.

In that brief second, his eyes quickly noticed all those small subtle differences in what he held in his memory of who Bella was. Her brown hair had gotten longer and she looked to have put on some weight. It wasn't excessive and Jacob found that it suited her body. He couldn't help but notice that her breasts looked larger, even for the weight that she had put on. Bella looked healthy. It was also obvious that she had spent some time in the sun; a small splattering of freckles rested on her cheeks just beneath her eyes and he noticed a distinct tan line of a watch around her wrist.

His eyes went back to her own and he sighed.

"Okay, say what you need to say so I can get the hell out of here."

All intentions of telling him about Daniel suddenly disappeared when Bella had finally gotten a good look at him.

To see his face up close, Bella realized that this wasn't the Jacob that she remembered; the one she had dreamed about...that she had loved. Sure, she had already known that his beautiful long hair had been cut short. Bella had caught a glimpse of him that day in Forks across the road from the Outfitter's store when she suddenly realized Jacob's fate - Sam had gotten to him. But it was his dark eyes and hard, chiselled jaw that seemed to be pulled into a permanent angry scowl that gave her pause.

Bella sucked in a breath, unable to hide her shock.

"Oh my god. Jake, what did Sam do to you?" She breathed.

Jacob snorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Seriously? You chased me into the woods to ask me that?!"

Bella shook her head. "Yes...no, I mean -"

"For your information, Sam did nothing to me. Don't you dare blame him."

Something in his tone told her that she shouldn't push him. He was angry; livid even. Still, there had to have been a reason behind his strange physical transformation that turned her best friend into someone she barely recognized.

"Then, if it's not Sam, then what is it?"

A strange sardonistic smirk, similar to the one she had seen on Paul's face pulled at Jacob's lips.

"You don't want to know. You wouldn't like the answer." He paused, the dark smirk disappearing, before his voice softened just slightly.

"But there is something that I was always wanting to tell you."

"What's that?"

"You were right about us. You said it in that letter that you were so kind to leave me." That darkness reappeared in his face. "You and I together, that was a mistake."

Bella felt as though she had been punched in the chest. It hurt because her mind instantly went to Daniel; the innocent baby who wouldn't have ever existed if not for her and Jacob being together. Bella would never consider that time to be a mistake.

"That's what I was wanting to explain to you. I never wrote that letter! Someone else did - it was Alice Cullen, Edward's sister. She knew that I was in love with you so she left it on my behalf to hurt you."

"You seriously think I'm going to believe such bullshit coming from you. All you ever do is lie, Bella. You even lied to Charlie about everything...but you can't lie to me. Not anymore."

"Jake, I know that you're hurting. It kills me to know that you believed that I didn't love you anymore."

As Bella took a step closer to him, Jacob took a step back, keeping the desired space between them and shook his head. As much as he wanted to simply accept her word as truth, her actions or lack thereof spoke volumes.

"If you really loved me, you wouldn't have fucking left in the first place," He shouted, before taking a deep breath to calm his anger.

Bella nodded and winced slightly at his shouting but found herself agreeing with him.

"You're totally right. But I also left because I loved you."

Jacob scoffed incredulously. "Are you even hearing yourself?! That doesn't make any fucking sense!"

"And I wish that I could explain it to you, but I can't. So, please don't ask me to."

"How convenient," he retorted sarcastically.

"It's true. Have you ever had a secret that could possibly put the lives of people that you love, in danger? That's what it was like for me."

Jacob sighed deeply as he looked up at the canopy above him, shaking his head incredulously before he turned his attention back towards Bella. To Jacob, it was clear that her loyalty still laid with the Cullen's, especially knowing she was still keeping their secret after all this time. He found it amazing how quickly and easily they could put their hooks back into her.

"So, why are you back?"

A small smile came to Bella's face. "For many reasons. I missed home and-"

"Is Cullen back too?"

Bella paused, hearing his sudden interruption before she shook her head.

"No, I left in the night. Edward wasn't home at the time. Jake, I wasn't in love with him; I never was. You were the one that I was always wanting to see and wanted to be with. I still love you."

Jacob swallowed, hearing the words that his heart had been hoping to hear for months. He couldn't help but remember those months of agony that she put him through.

"Bella," Jacob breathed, seeing the hope in her face before he'd officially dash it. "Do us both a favour and just go back to where you were. I'm not the same kid who helped you rebuild those motorcycles two years ago. I wouldn't have been...good...for you. You're better off with that Cullen guy."

Jacob couldn't believe he even said it. He felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of suggesting to her to go live with a vampire. But he wasn't about to suddenly forgive her for everything and welcome her with open arms after what Bella had done to him. There was no doubt in his mind that she knew what the Cullen's were and she was strangely, completely comfortable to be living with them as she had been for nearly 2 years.

"You don't mean that," Bella said softly.

"What if I do?!"

"Jake, Edward and I, we didn't see eye to eye on things. He wanted things for me that I didn't agree with. So, I left him and I came home to you."

Jacob snorted, finding Bella's words hard to swallow. "Sure, at least until the bastard suddenly comes back and sweeps you off your feet once again."

Bella shook her head. "No, Jake, it's over between him and I. It's always been over. I don't love him. I love you. Forks is my home; I'm not going anywhere."

"Forgive me if I don't believe any of that crap that comes out of your mouth. Think of it from my point of view - a girl that I loved had finally told me that she loved me back. I had sex with her and the moment that her ex-boyfriend shows his pale ass at her door, she leaves town with him and tells me that we were a mistake and she didn't love me like she thought she did. If you were me, would you be able to believe her if she suddenly came back and said that it was over between her and the ex-boyfriend?"

As Jacob laid it out as plain as day, Bella could hear...no, she could feel the anger, the anguish in his words. It tugged hard at her heart.

"I don't know."

"Exactly!" Jacob stated, harshly between clenched teeth. "And that is why I can't take your god-damn word, Bella. I can't trust you - ever again."

He sighed, his fists beginning to tremble once again. Jacob closed his eyes and took a deep breath, the sudden scent of salt hitting him. He opened his eyes just as Bella spoke. He saw the tears in her eyes.

"Jake, please, just give me some time...some time to prove to you that I mean it when I tell you that I still love you. I have so much...so much to tell you, that I want you to know."

He shook his head, his anger starting to cloud his vision. Jacob knew that he needed get out of there, but it felt so good to unleash his frustration on her and to show her a little of how he felt.

"You left with him!" He shouted. "You left me, for...him! But it doesn't matter anymore. I've moved on from...whatever that was we had for a brief time. So, do me a favour, just go away and leave me alone."

Before she could say another word, Jacob turned and ran into the woods, his chest heaving, desperate to unleash the animal within. Except, he wasn't expecting to hear Bella call after him. Her voice felt like a siren to him, demanding that he go back to her, but he simply couldn't; he wouldn't. He had said words that made him feel sick to his stomach; even going as far as to suggest that she go back to her Cullen. Deep down, Jacob knew that he didn't mean them, but he was too angry and to hurt to think clearly. He had to get out of there before she'd see him phase.

Slowly, Bella turned, giving up in calling for him as Jacob's words replayed over and over in her mind. The sense of loss dug deep into her. The hope that she had felt before had vanished. Bella hadn't even had the chance to tell Jacob about Daniel. But given his state of mind and frustration towards her, she had feared how he would have reacted to that news. As much as she wanted to give up and heed Jacob's words in leaving him alone, for Daniel's sake, she knew that she couldn't; at least not until she's tried again. She still loved him.

The anguish must have been evident on her face, as Sam and Sue looked over at her in concern when Bella finally emerged from the woods. Neither said a word as Bella simply climbed back into Sue's SUV, but they knew what had happened.

Bella kept her eyes on her lap as Sue drove silently back into Forks.

Walking into her Dad's house, she was met with those same expressions, no doubt having heard the news sometime before their arrival from Sam. While Charlie met Bella at the door and wrapped his arms around her without saying a word, Billy offered a sympathetic smile and reached out to take her hand. Bella smiled weakly as her eyes went to Daniel, partially asleep on Billy's shoulder. The moment Billy moved slightly, Daniel raised his head and reached for Bella, who gladly took him.

Charlie smiled softly.

"We've kept the kid busy," he told her. "He's exhausted."

"I know the feeling," Bella stated weakly, running her hand lovingly over Daniel's head.

"Why don't you go lay down with him?" Sue suggested, carrying in the bag of diapers from the car. "I'm sure you both could use some rest."

Bella nodded, before she slowly went up the stairs with Daniel resting against her shoulder.

Three years ago, if she had had that conversation with Jacob, she would have sunk herself into a despair that she wouldn't have been able to climb out of. Bella was not that little girl anymore. As much as she still wanted to hide away and cry away her sorrows, she couldn't. The little person in her arms was her priority.

With a sigh, Bella closed her bedroom door and pushed her duffle bag to the side of her bed. Gently, she laid Daniel down on the bed and she moved in beside him as Daniel sat back up, whimpering behind his soother. Quietly, she assured him that she was staying with him and encouraged him to lie down beside her. As Bella turned on her side, Daniel pulled his soother from his mouth and dropped it onto the bed before laying down. He turned into her and tugged on the collar of her shirt, nuzzling his face into her chest.

Noticing his sudden desire to nurse as they laid there, Bella tugged her shirt up under herself and indulged him. It wasn't very often anymore that Daniel wanted to nurse during the day, but knowing that he was still getting over his sickness, Bella didn't mind.

Bella gently ran her hand up and down his back, and watched as Daniel reached up to play with the soft dark hair on his head as he sucked vigorously on her breast. It wasn't long before she was hearing him swallowing audibly. A soft smile came to her eyes as she watched his eyes begin to roll every so often between sucks.

"I saw your Daddy today," Bella told him softly, tears in her eyes as Daniel's own eyes quickly flitted up to her. "You look so much like him."

He sucked some more, his eyes closing for longer periods each time.

"I promise you, Daniel, I wont let you grow up without knowing your real father," she assured him, before leaning her head over carefully to kiss his small hand playing with his hair. "I wont give up for you."

Bella could sense Daniel falling asleep as his sucking seemed to slow down and his congested breathing became louder. With a smile, she gently broke the suction against her breast with her finger. Daniel's mouth remained slightly open, leftover milk dripping from his lips. Pushing her shirt down, Bella cuddled him into her before she closed her eyes to fall asleep.

* * *

The news of Bella's sudden arrival moved quickly throughout the pack. Although she was still human and appeared to have come alone and without the Cullen's, there was a unanimous agreement that despite all that, it wasn't good news. Like Jacob, the pack didn't trust her. To them, regardless of whether she were human or not, she was still a Cullen. It was as plain as day that she had chosen to align herself with the Cullen's when she left Forks and to the pack, allowing her onto the tribe land would completely violate the treaty.

It was not surprising that when Billy declared that Bella was no longer banned from the reservation during their meeting that night around the bon fire, it elicited not only confusion from Old Quil beside him, but quite a bit of anger from the group of shape shifters. It became so intense, that Sam had to stand up in front of the pack and order them to sit back down and shut up.

"I am disappointed with this pack of pups," he growled at them. "You are directing your anger towards our respected elder. It is their job to make the decisions that affect this tribe with wisdom. Billy has never made a decision that has negatively affected this tribe and I have confidence in him that he wont be starting now."

Silence followed Sam's forceful rebuke.

Billy wasn't surprised by the pack's reaction. He had seen a similar response to Bella's uninvited presence from Rachel after Sue had brought him home earlier that day after Bella had laid down with Daniel. Rachel explained passionately how she wasn't impressed to see the bane of her brother's constant anger and the unofficial Cullen at the front door. While he could understand Rachel's concern with Bella's presense, Billy was unimpressed on how she handled the situation. At the same time, he was still trying to decide whether everything Bella had said was true. But the fact of the matter was that Bella was the mother of his grandson. There was no way in his mind, that he was going to ban her knowing this.

Unfortunately, because Bella had yet to explain that situation to Jacob, he had no valid reason to give the pack as to the thinking behind his decision.

"But," Sam continued, sitting back down on the fallen log between Seth and Jared, "regardless of how adament Bella is that she has come alone, I wouldn't put it past those Cullen's to follow her. For the next foreseeable future, we're going to be keeping a closer eye on the Cullen's place and the land on that side of our borders. We're also going to include Charlie's place as part of our routine patrol. The moment any of you get a small whiff of their stench, alert the pack."

With a irritable groan, Paul raised his hand from where he sat across the fire. Sighing, Sam nodded to him, allowing him to speak once again.

"So, not only are we going to be on a Cullen watch, and at the same time, keep an eye out for that blond and the red headed bloodsuckers that have been frequenting the area, but we also have to include Leech Lover into our patrol? What the hell, Sam? Since when have you gone soft for her?"

"Just get over it, Paul," Seth mumbled, before Paul quickly shot a glare over at him.

"I'll fucking get over it, when Sam grows some balls and tells us what's really going on."

"Yeah man," Jared agreed, although not as hotly. "I mean, it just doesn't make sense. If Bella decided to live with the vamps, who are we to argue with that? She made her bed - she can lay in it."

While the pack began to verbally agree with Jared's statement, Sam looked over at Jacob to see him sitting quietly between Paul and Leah. The pair on either side of him had been very vocal with their statements and strangely, he hadn't said a word during the entire meeting. Jacob seemed distant. Instead, he simply stared into the fire in front of him while listening to the arguments being exchanged around him. It just wasn't like him. Sam wondered that maybe his conversation with Bella had gotten to him more than he let on or was wanting to admit. Concerned and also wanting to get his input in the matter, Sam suddenly called Jacob's name over the chaos of voices.

"Jake, what do you think?"

The voices around them silenced while Jacob looked up at Sam across the fire.

"Why do you need my opinion? You're Alpha, not me."

He could hear that bitter disdain in his voice and the pack felt it.

"Considering this involves Bella, I thought that you might want some input."

Jacob shrugged. "Do whatever it is you want to do. I'll follow it."

"That's not what I'm asking, Jake. Do you think we should create a patrol route past Charlie's?"

Jacob could feel all eyes on him. It was a little unnerving to be put on the spot like that when he clearly wasn't wanting to speak. Jacob's eyes flitted past the curious gaze of his father, Sue and Old Quil before he looked across the fire at Sam.

"If we're lucky, she's not going to be sticking around for long. And I still don't know why you're asking me."

"Probably cause we all know that deep down under all that anger, he still has feelings for her," Quil mumbled knowingly, elbowing Embry in the side.

Quil chuckled and a smile pulled at Embry's lips before the pair caught the dark glare that was sent their way from Jacob. The atmosphere around the fire suddenly became tense. The pack knew that Jacob could no longer handle Quil's teasing with the same ease as he used to. More often than not, stupid comments from Quil usually pulled him into a petty brawl against Jacob's wolf, leaving someone else in the pack to break it up. But having the elders present, made it all the more serious.

They were all surprised when Jacob's attention turned back to the fire in front of him and he shrugged.

"Like I said, do whatever you think is best."

Sam watched Jacob for a few seconds more, shock not only evident on his face but also on the faces of the pack that were present. Finally, Sam nodded.

"Fine then. Starting with the overnight shift, a patrol route will run through Forks behind Charlie's place before coming up through Cullen territory, past their old place and then back over onto our land."

With that, the pack disbursed.

Quil walked up to Jacob, not at all looking forward to sharing the patrol with him, especially after what could have almost happened during the meeting. He was just about to verbally apologize when Sam called out Jacob's name.

With a disgruntled sigh, Jacob turned to see Sam sitting beside where Billy and Old Quil sat.

"You're taking tonight off. Leah's taking your place with Quil."

No one gave more of a sigh of relief than Quil had at that moment. He looked over at Leah as she walked up to him, not at all impressed at being paired up with him.

"Jake, Old Quil wants to talk to you," Sam added.

Jacob groaned, glaring over at Leah who simply shrugged. She smiled sympathetically and mouthed at him, 'it wasn't me', before she took off for the woods behind Quil.

Knowing that he had best get over whatever pearls of wisdom the old elder could bestow on him, Jacob walked over to where he sat. Momentarily meeting his Dad's gaze, Jacob smiled at him, although the smile never did meet his eyes. Sam pushed Billy away and Sue walked beside them, leaving Old Quil and Jacob to have privacy.

"Sit down, Jacob Black," the old man's rough voice told him, as he leaned forward with a long stick in his hand to push the embers around beneath the burning logs. "You have been troubled for far too long. It doesn't just grieve your father's heart, but the pack is even sensing the disjointedness within you."

"I'm fine," Jacob stated, causing Old Quil to look at him.

"Bull shit."

Jacob nearly choked at the old man's choice words.

"I have been watching you struggle over the past few months," he admitted. "You have been angry-"

Jacob shrugged. "It's kind of a wolf thing. It comes with the territory."

Old Quil shook his head.

"No, I know that for you, it runs deeper than the occasional spurt of anger. It's an unquenchable rage that you have built up over time to cover your pain. I can see it in your face and your pack mates can sense the confliction within you. Sam has come to me quite often, but seeing you tonight makes me realize that you may need some guidance and help."

Jacob snorted. "And you seriously think you can? Help, I mean."

Old Quil sighed and looked down at the fire. "Unfortunately, I believe that this is something for you to work out on your own."

"So, why did you want to talk to me?"

"I have some questions to ask, in hopes that I can understand the reason behind your internal conflict and perhaps grant you some clarity."

Jacob rested his elbows on his knees, ready to hear all the Quileute hogwash the old man was going to lay on him.

"Shoot."

"Did you imprint on Bella Swan?"

A rare smile came to Jacob's face before he chuckled incredulously.

"Do you see me skipping through the damn forest with my face looking like I had just seen heaven or desperate to get the hell out of here just so I can go see her again?"

To emphasize his point, Jacob stretched out his legs in front of him, settling in to get comfortable.

"I'll take that as a no."

"That's putting it simply."

Old Quil nodded.

"You do know that your father and I have come to the conclusion that you may never will, but I had to ask just to cover all bases. But I assume that when she was here a few years ago, that you two were close."

"Unfortunately," Jacob said, his eyes going dark.

"How close?"

Jacob ran his hands over his face and stood up.

"I don't want to talk about this with you. This is..."

"You had sex with her. Am I right?" Old Quil asked bluntly, causing Jacob to gawk at him at his lack of tact. "I'm not a prude, young man. I've lived a full life and I know more about what goes on in the young lives of this pack than you may think." He paused and shudder slightly. "Or may want to know."

With a sigh, Jacob nodded and sat back down.

"Yeah, we had sex."

"How many times?"

"Just the one time," Jacob replied with a sigh, running his hands over his face, finding himself not believing that he was even discussing this with Old Quil. It was just as bad as talking to his Dad about sex.

"How long was this before you phased for the first time?"

Jacob sighed again, thinking back. Memories and images of Bella's face as she smiled at him before leaning in to kiss him invaded his thoughts. Jacob pinched his eyes shut, willing them away.

"I already had the fever when we had sex. It began to get more intense on the way back home. I phased a day later."

Old Quil nodded, looking into the flames of the dying fire in front of him. "So, your Spirit Warrior was already within you when you and Bella were intimate."

"But I thought it was the moment that we first phased, when we became one with the wolf that the Spirit Warrior comes to us."

Old Quil shook his head. "Your Spirit Warrior first comes to you with the fever. That is why even after you transform into the wolf, that fever remains with you for your lifetime. You are simply not one in tune with him until you transform."

Jacob leaned forward against his knees and looked into the fire. "I do remember feeling strange during the fever, but I dismissed it."

"Strange? How so?"

Jacob sighed, feeling awkward to be even saying these things aloud. He cleared his throat and shifted slightly.

"When Bella and I, had sex, I...uh..growled quite a bit and I loved the smell that she...gave off. I couldn't get enough of it. It seemed to satisfy something deep within me. I thought it was just a sex thing."

Old Quil smiled and shook his head.

"That, my boy is a wolf thing." He paused for a moment, pushing a partially burned log further into the flames, brightening the fire. "But it still doesn't explain how you have been unable to get over her in the way that you should have. Was there anything else?"

That's when Jacob suddenly remembered something else that was strange that had happened that night in his Rabbit; something that felt primal, full of desire and dare he say it? - erotic.

"I also bit her."

Old Quil's head suddenly turned to him upon hearing Jacob's words.

"You...bit her? Are you sure?"

Jacob chuckled. "I don't think that would be something I'd be unsure of." His smile faded as he recalled the overwhelming urge to taste her skin and then in the heat of his climax, his teeth clamped down, not fully breaking through the skin of her shoulder but enough to leave a mark. He remembered the intense need to lick the wound that he had created and felt the goosebumps that rippled over Bella's skin as he did it. "I wanted to do it and she liked it."

Old Quil snorted, a strange smile coming onto his face.

"Well, that explains your problem."

"Explains what?"

"You branded yourself onto her - marked her."

While Jacob stared at him in confusion, Old Quil continued. "I heard of this before. Your great-grandfather, Ephraim did the same thing to his wife. It's not like an imprint; this is very different. It's not some supernatural undying love thing that you've seen with your brothers. This is a purely voluntary action, but still holds similar mystical properties. How I see it, is that the Spirit Warrior, the wolf, must bend to the will of the Alpha man, you, in choosing whom he's in love with. You were in love with Bella and so you marked her as such. The mark you left on her would reveal her identity and connection to you, to the rest of the pack, as there is no imprint to connect her to the wolf. Think of it as something that joins two people who love each other, much like the custom of a ring given in marriage."

Eyes wide, Jacob suddenly sat up straighter. "Are you saying, I'm married to her?"

Old Quil laughed.

"Of course not! But this would certainly explain how deep your pain went with her rejection. The wolf is feeling the pain that you felt and remember, because you as the man branded yourself onto her, your wolf intended her to be your mate for life. You literally connected with her in more ways than one. Her betrayal changed you and hardened your heart from ever becoming hurt again."

Jacob ran his hand through his short hair, pulling at the ends.

"How do I unmark her?"

"You can't." He paused for a moment before continuing. "But I may be able to find something in our histories that may speak more of this. There may be a way to break that bond between her and your wolf, if you'd like."

"Please!" Jacob pleaded, desperately.

A small rueful smile pulled at the old man's lips before he looked back into the flames, thinking for a second before he spoke.

"I'm told that you spoke to her."

Jacob sighed and nodded.

"And how did that go?"

"Like nails down a chalkboard."

Old Quil winced and shook his head. "That bad, huh?"

"Let's just say the sooner you can figure out how to break this branding thing, the better. I'm tired of feeling like shit."

Old Quil stared into the fire, and it seemed like a little too long in Jacob's opinion. Suddenly, the old man blinked and turned to Jacob.

"Can I offer you a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"Talk to her again."

Jacob laughed aloud at the audacity within his words. When he looked at the stoic elder's face glaring back at him, Jacob instantly stopped his laughter and cleared his throat.

"You're serious."

"Do I look like I'm telling a joke?"

"No, sir."

"I wouldn't tell you to go talk to Bella Swan again if I didn't think it would be useful."

"What use would it be for me to hear more of her lies, and get more ticked off at her? I barely had enough time to get out of there before I couldn't hold it in any longer."

The old man shrugged and pushed more of the dying embers around in the flames.

"The spirits told me to tell you that."

Jacob sighed. "The spirits told you to tell me to talk to her? Why?"

Old Quil shrugged.

"I don't know why. I don't ask when the spirit tell me something." He paused and looked at jacob. "I suspect it's for you to find out for yourself."

Jacob groaned, not looking forward to talking to Bella Swan once again. The one time was certainly enough. But he knew well enough that he should heed the words of Old Quil; he wasn't a elder for no reason. As much as the pack teased and joked about Old Quil being high most of the time, the guy was pretty legit when it came to knowing things that no one else had told him about. It was unnerving, especially when he'd stare at you with a knowing smile. For that reason, Jacob took his suggestion to heart...as much as he hated to do it.

Thankfully, he didn't have to call her to ask if she'd speak with him again. Jacob had run into Sam on the way home and his Alpha offered to contact her on his behalf. To Jacob, Sam seemed just a little too excited even in his usual hard and stoic expression. Irregardless, Jacob was relieved that he didn't have to do it himself. Talking to her alone was going to be painful enough. But he was determined to move on with his life.

* * *

Bella was just going through the motions that morning and Charlie knew it. The day after her disastrous talk with Jacob, a lot of the wind had been taken out of her sails. Knowing that Jacob wasn't interested in talking to her again certainly had an impact in that.

Seeing as it was early in the day and wanting to get them out of the house, Charlie suggested that they all go down to Sue's place on the reservation. Deep down, he had hoped that they would run into Jacob, allowing Bella to finish explaining herself and hopefully introduce his grandson to Jacob. It was a hopeful thought; he didn't like seeing Bella this way. Although she wasn't anywhere near how she was when Edward had left her in the woods, a part of Charlie would always be concerned that she would revert back to that state.

As he suspected, getting Bella out of the house seemed to do the trick. She seemed to enjoy talking with Sue and Charlie found it amusing to watch her interact with Daniel. While Charlie watched Bella as she played on the living room floor with her son. Sue came into the room and passed Charlie a beer just as there was a knock at the door.

Not knowing who was coming to visit and to avoid anyone seeing Daniel, Bella quickly scooped up the toddler and got out of the line of sight of the door. Her worries were relieved when it was only Sam, coming to check on them and to give her some news.

"I tried to come by sooner, but I was busy," he said to Sue, before looking over at Bella. "Jacob wants to see you at First Beach tonight at seven."

Bella stared at him, while a smile came to Sam's face.

"Seriously? But he said that he didn't want to talk to me."

"He's had some convincing to give you another chance."

Bella sighed, leaning in to kiss Daniel on his cheek before she looked up at the clock. It was only three in the afternoon. Four hours were going to pass slowly, and she knew it.

During that time, she couldn't eat. Her stomach was between a flurry of dread, excitement and nerves. Bella spent the final half hour in the bathroom, certain that she was going to throw up. It was only when Charlie knocked on the door to alert of the time that she sucked it up.

"Do you want me to give you a ride down there?" Charlie asked, as she saw her Dad pass a messy-faced and shirtless Daniel to Sue. It was clear that the little boy had just finished eating spaghetti.

"If you don't mind, I was hoping to drive myself," she told them. "I need some time to think."

Charlie nodded in understanding.

"Take my car. And don't worry about us here," Sue told her as Daniel giggled against her tickling fingers. "We'll have fun and give Daniel a bath and get him ready for bed."

"Yeah, then later, Seth, little Danny and I are going to watch some hockey together," Charlie told her excitedly, causing Bella to chuckle despite her frayed nerves. "Billy might come over in a bit to join us."

"Try to keep Daniel awake for me. I'll nurse him before he goes to sleep."

Both Sue and Charlie nodded, their attention quickly turning to the little boy who was in dire need of a bath as Bella walked out the door.

She didn't remember much of her drive towards First Beach. Only one car had passed her along the way and the parking lot by the beach was completely empty when she arrived. Bella turned off the SUV and climbed out. She arched up on her toes to look over the steep embankment down to the beach to see if Jacob was down there.

Nothing.

Either than the seagulls crying in the sky, she was completley alone.

Bella looked down at her watch and noted that it was already 7:05. With a sigh, she made her way down the old wooden steps and walked across the soft sand towards the surf. A cool wind was blowing in; a sign that a storm was surely coming ashore in the next hour.

Another five minutes passed and Bella was growing impatient. She knew how much Jacob was unwilling to talk to her before. If he had been persuaded to talk to her now, it was possible that he had no sooner changed his mind and none of Sam's desciples had the decency to come out and tell her. Bella sighed angrily and turned on her heel to head back towards the parking lot.

That's when she saw him.

Jacob stood ten feet away, barefoot and only in a pair of cutoff shorts.

"Sorry I'm late."

His voice stoic, nothing like the last time she had spoken to him.

What Bella didn't know was that he had been late because he had had so much trouble controlling his emotions to phase back onto two legs long enough to even walk out of the woods. It had been years since he had had such difficulty. His wolf had paced in the woods for a few minutes before Bella had even arrived a the beach. When she finally arrived, the wolf purred with the scent that blew their way and found it was suddenly easy to phase back. When Jacob had finally stood on two legs, he glared at Bella from where he hid, knowing it was only because of her that he was able to phase back. It was frustrating. The fire threatened to overtake him once again before Embry had appeared at his side.

"You got this, man," he had said softly. "I'll be patrolling not too far if you need anything."

Jacob didn't respond and Embry wasn't expecting him to. Ensuring that he had a tight rein on that anger, he had walked out onto the beach. He put up an emotional wall, determined to get through this conversation that Old Quil sugggested he make.

In front of him, Bella shivered, a breeze suddenly blew against her back. It made her wish that she had brought a coat for the cold April day. She absently rubbed her hands against her arms.

"Aren't you cold like that?"

Jacob sighed and crossed his arms. This wasn't supposed to be a casual conversation, but he couldn't help but answer her.

Damn manners.

"I'm fine."

Bella took a deep breath, watching as he didn't so much as flinch in the breeze. Jacob looked solid, like an immovable object. Finding his staring suddenly becoming unnerving, she looked around the beach, finding that they were certainly alone.

"I remember the last time that I was here," Bella mused, looking out at the waves. "You and I went for a walk along the beach. It was colder than today."

Jacob snorted.

Duh.

"It was March."

Bella looked back at him and smirked before the expression fell.

"And you told me the tribe's superstitions when it came to the Cullen family. You don't know how much I wish that I never met Edward," Bella stated. "He took so many things from me."

"I know the feeling," Jacob said ominously, his hands in fists at his side. His normal human life aside, he eluded to Bella. "You don't know how many nights I envisioned beating him up for taking you from me. Could you believe that at the beginning I believed that he forcefully took you away? It wasn't until I heard of your phone call to Charlie that I knew that you left willingly. It made it all the more worse."

"I'm so sorry, Jacob," Bella said softly. "If I could take that all back, I would."

Jacob took a deep breath, willing his anger to subside for the sake of having a decent conversation with her.

"Why did you even come back? I know I asked this earlier but coming back just because you suddenly missed home sounds like bull shit to me."

Bella shook her head. "No, I did miss home. Where I was with Edward, it wasn't home. My heart wasn't there - it was here, with Charlie and with you."

Jacob sighed and rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious," Bella stated, seeing his expression. "But that wasn't the only reason I came back."

"Really?" He wasn't sounding convinced.

"Something...happened while I was away. And please hear me out when I say that I had no idea that I was pregnant when I left. I found out a-"

"What. The. Hell?!" Jacob growled a darkness clouding over his eyes, before he took a step back from Bella, feeling the wolf's anger plow into him. He ran his hands through his hair, pulling at the ends before glaring at her. Beneath it all, his eyes showed disgust and agony. The thought of somoene else, let alone a vampire touching her, having sex with her put an anger within him that he had never felt before.

"You were fucking pregnant with that leech's baby!?"

Hearing his words, she felt herself pale.

"What?" She breathed.

Jacob's chest heaving in anger, he took a bold step towards her, a growl resonating deeply in his chest.

"You know what I'm talking about. You came here to tell me that you're still in love with me, when you've had a baby with a damned leech?! How the hell is that even possible!? They're fucking dead!"

Bella shook her head, her mind still reeling over what he was saying and at the same time, she wanted to set the record straight for him when it came to Daniel.

"No, Jake-"

"Tell me Bella, was that filthy bloodsucker that you love as good a lover as I was?"

Seeing that unadulterated rage in Jacob's face, she instinctively stepping back from him. For the first time in her life, she was absolutely terrified of Jacob.

"You...you don't understand-"

"Oh, I understand perfectly clear I was too stupid to think-"

"No Jake! He's your son!"

Bella shouted the words loudly to ensure that he heard her. It took a few seconds and blinks of his eyes as he stared at her before the anger suddenly washed from his vision.

"My...son?"

His words were so soft that Bella could barely hear them.

"Are you sure?"

"He looks just like you."

Jacob scoffed in disbelief, ran his hand through his hair before he looked back at Bella, seeing her puzzled eyes looking at him.

"About what you said about Edward-"

"What's his name?"

Bella sighed,a small smile on her face despite his interruption. She was simply pleased to hear that Jacob was at least interested in his son.

"Daniel Jacob Swan," she replied. "He's over at Sue's right now with your Dad, Seth and Charlie. You can meet him but first, I want to ask you about what you said about the Cullen's."

A sudden howl cut over the sound of the surf. If Bella had to guess, the wolf was within a kilometer of the beach, especially since there was such a strong wind blowing inland. As curious as she was to the existence of the wolf within La Push, Jacob's eyes seemed locked on the treeline. His jaw tensed before he quickly looked back at her.

"Bella, I gotta go. Please go back to Sue's."

"Jake, I really think we should discuss this some more first," Bella said, getting a little miffed at his sudden desire to leave. "What the hell did you mean about calling Edward, a leech?"

Another howl pierced the air, causing Jacob to suddenly become nervous.

"I can't explain this to you right now. I really need to go. Just...". He paused and looked as sincerely as he could at her, more so than he had since she had arrived back in his life. "Just, get somewhere safe, please. I'll talk to you later."

Before Bella could argue any further, Jacob turned and ran towards the treeline, quickly disappearing into it. With a bitter sigh, Bella made her way back to Sue's SUV and began to drive back to Sue's house. She rolled down the window, feeling the first few drops of rain beginning to fall on her arm as she rested it against the door.

Bella was frustrated. As much as she understood Jacob's reaction in thinking that Daniel could have belonged to Edward, it didn't excuse his use for calling him a leech and bloodsucker. It was too much of a coincidence, especially given the Quileute's superstitions when it came to the Cullen's. For a moment, Bella wondered how much Jacob knew about them.

The rain began to pour and she was about to roll up the window when a flash of red darted in front of the car. Bella slammed on the brakes, causing the SUV to skid over the gravel road and twist slightly until it came to a firm stop. Bella slammed it into park in order to get her bearings. The only thing Bella heard were the wipers moving quickly across the windshield and her own breathing.

When she thought she could finally put the car back into drive, the door beside her suddenly disappeared and a pale hand reached in, grabbed ahold of her seatbelt, tearing it loose. Bella gasped. Within a second, she found herself pinned against a tree, Victoria, her wild eyes glaring at Bella as she licked her lips.

"You don't know how long I've waited for you," she said.


	13. Chapter 13

_**A/N -**_

 _ **So sorry for the extended delay. Long story short - I was in Florida for my vacation and had to evacuate for Hurricane Irma after being there for only 2 days...ugh...**_

 _ **To make up for it, we vacationed closer to home and had no wifi for those two weeks. It wasn't the same, but we're safe and that's what matters.**_

 _ **My thoughts and prayers to everyone who has been affected by natural disasters recently.**_

* * *

The ominous howls echoed throughout La Push, and quickly found their way to Seth's ears as he pulled Billy's wheelchair up the final step onto the front porch. The friendly banter that had been exchanged between them while on their walk over to Sue's house came to an abrupt end as they both paused at the foreboding sounds. Billy noticed Seth's sudden unease and insisted that he go and leave him to explain to Sue inside what was going on. Nodding curtly, Seth jumped off the porch, and raced straight for the woods just as the rain began to fall.

It turned out that Billy didn't need to explain anything to Sue. She had met him at the door, having already heard the loud howls from within her home and had a suspicion of what it meant.

Vampires were on their land.

Although Sue knew the power that was within both Leah and Seth, she hated knowing the danger that her heritage had thrust her children into. Billy could understand that worry. Although he didn't seem to show it, he was always deeply concerned when Jacob would have to run off at a moment's notice whenever there was a threat to the reservation.

But suddenly seeing his grandson, freshly bathed and wearing only a diaper, come crawling quickly along the linoleum floor towards them, a smile came to Billy's worried face. When Sue noticed his distraction and sudden change of mood, she turned and was greeted with Daniel smile as he sat back on his knees to reach up to her. From the other room, they could hear Charlie calling for the little boy. Smirking, she picked Daniel up just as Charlie came around the corner. The moment he saw his grandson in Sue's arms, there was visible relief on Charlie's face. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"For being only a year old, that kid sure is fast. I turn around to get his PJ's and he's gone."

Charlie paused, glancing out the door to see the rain begin to get heavier. "Where did Seth suddenly take off to?"

Billy quickly answered, explaining to Charlie that he had sent Seth back to his place to pick up the beer he had left in the fridge. Charlie chuckled, noting the wind was picking up and the rain outside was beginning to fall in heavy sheets and stated that he hoped that the storm passed quickly enough so that Seth could make it back in time for the face off.

Billy nodded and suggested to Charlie that perhaps that they should begin recording it in case Seth is delayed at his place because of the weather. While Charlie agreed and headed back into the living room, Billy smiled weakly after him. He had become so accustomed in covering for the pack that lying came so easily to him. Billy hated having to deceive his best friend over all these years. But there were customs and laws in place that forbid anyone either than the elders and the pack to know the truth.

And Billy fucking hated it.

He remembered arguing endlessly with Old Quil Ateara and Harry Clearwater about telling Charlie the secrets of the tribe. Billy's concern was Bella's wellbeing, as at the time, she had immersed herself within the Cullen's world. As her father's best friend, it had pained Billy to watch her, knowing that from his perspective she was knowingly putting her life in jeopardy by having a relationship with a vampire. If anything would have happened to Bella, Billy would've never been able to forgive himself for keeping the truth from Charlie.

Sensing his inner turmoil, Sue placed a gentle hand on his shoulder before offering him to hold Daniel. With a smile, Billy reached out and happily took the boy from Sue's arms before placing him on his lap.

Like his father had been at that age, Daniel was full of joy and a ray of sunshine. Almost instantaneously, his cheerful demeanour could change the atmosphere in the room. Carefully holding his grandson on his lap, Billy slowly rolled them forward into the living room where Charlie was setting up the television for the game.

Outside, a gust of wind blew as the rain suddenly got louder, pounding hard against the roof of Sue's home. A flash of light illuminated the house, before plunging it into darkness just as a deafening clap of thunder shook the walls and startled Daniel to the point that he began to cry. Quickly, he turned and grabbed ahold of Billy's arms. Seeing the fear on Daniel's face, Billy picked him up and held him tightly against his chest, allowing the baby to hide his face in his neck as he cried.

"Damn," Charlie muttered looking at the dark television. "Something tells me that we wont be watching that game tonight."

Billy agreed just as the phone rang.

Sue answered it, and quickly side spoke towards the two men that it was Emily Young on the phone asking if they were without power as well. Despite knowing that it was possibly the entire reservation that was experiencing the black-out, Charlie grabbed a flashlight and went out to the garage to check on the electrical panel. He still hadn't returned when Sue had gotten off the phone with Emily.

She carefully looked towards the door leading out to the garage to ensure that Charlie wasn't about to walk in before she spoke.

"It's not good."

Billy pursed his lips, and rubbed his large hand soothingly over Daniel's bare back as the baby whimpered against his shoulder.

"I figured as much."

"Emily didn't have many details about what's going on, but she did say that Brady popped in to let her know that he'll be patrolling around her place until he hears otherwise from Sam. Rachel is still with her, so she's safe. Collin's doing the area around Old Quil's house and Seth will be patrolling around here."

Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled in the distance once again, causing the windows to rattle from the sound as the wind slapped the rain against the glass.

Daniel suddenly pushed against Billy's arms and sobbed, big tears pouring down his russet cheeks while he cried out for comfort from the one person who wasn't there - Bella.

Seeing Billy struggling to hold onto the upset boy, Sue offered to take Daniel from him. Billy nodded before she scooped Daniel from his lap and held him tightly to her shoulder. His sobs briefly turned to anger as he let out a scream, while he continued to push against her.

"Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, honey, you're okay," Sue spoke calmly to the baby, reminding him that Bella would be back soon. It didn't seem to help. Still, she continued to speak softly and swayed with him as Charlie came back into the house, concerned over hearing his grandson's fearful screams.

"He's afraid of the storm and just wants Bella," Sue explained, holding Daniel against her shoulder while he cried.

Charlie sighed, not liking both the fact that Daniel was upset and that Bella was still out in the storm. He looked out the window at the dark forest across the road that was illuminated every few seconds from the lightning.

"Maybe I should go out there and find her."

Billy put his hand on Charlie's arm.

"Charlie, don't worry. I'm sure Bella's safe and she'll be back as soon as this storm lets up."

While Billy said it as much to himself as he did to Charlie, he couldn't help but be concerned. But knowing that Bella was with Jacob gave him some relief. Still, for Daniel's sake, he couldn't help but worry.

* * *

Impossible.

It couldn't be true. He couldn't have a kid. Could he?

As Jacob ran into the woods, the name 'Daniel Jacob' replayed over and over in his mind along with Bella's voice telling him, ' _he's your son.'_ At the same time, he remembered the time they had sex; the only time they ever had sex, that Bella told him that she was on birth control. Either she had been lying about that, or something had happened.

With those thoughts still turning in his mind, Jacob felt the familiar heat lick up his spine before the primal power of the wolf came over him.

From then, it only took a fraction of a second before strong reactions, opinions and comments to Jacob's thoughts and memories were being shared within the pack. Jacob noticed a relief from Seth that he now knew about Daniel. Seth quickly displayed his memory of meeting and playing with the baby. A anger rose in Jacob to find out that Seth had kept that information from him, before he quickly found out that it was Sam who told the younger wolf to keep it to himself.

' _We can talk more about this later,_ ' Sam though, adding his own memory of first seeing the dark haired boy in Bella's arms. ' _We have a more serious matter. We have a leech on our land!'_

Before the thought was even complete, the entire pack's concentration was back on the fact that they were chasing down the red-headed vampire that had been frequenting their land every so often for nearly two years. Sam quickly sent out an order to Seth, Brady and Collin to head back towards Emily's, Sue's and Quil's, to ensure the imprints and elders were under their close protection. Meanwhile, the others spread out, chasing down the nauseating vampiric scent as it passed through their land.

' _The bitch has been keeping to the trees!_ ' Quil growled, as he ran alongside Jared. ' _And she's fucking fast!_ '

' _She's not getting away this time,_ ' Sam stated, racing in the forest to join with them. ' _We're ending this tonight!_ '

The entire pack agreed as they ran through the woods.

' _I've finally got a scent!_ ' Embry exclaimed, just as Paul put his nose to the ground beside him to confirm it.

 _'Yeah, we're two miles in from First Beach. She's close.'_

' _I'm coming to you!_ ' Jacob growled, coming in from the coast.

' _I've got your flank, Jake,_ ' Leah told him, offering him the backup.

' _Let's lock that bitch in, boys!_ ' Jared cackled, enjoying the chance to finally destroy the vampire that had been tormenting them for far too many times. ' _Quil and I are_ _coming in hot from the east.'_

The pack pushed themselves, knowing that they were close. Lightning began to flash as the thunder rumbled. A few seconds passed before the wind suddenly picked up and the rain poured down in a heavy torrent.

' _Wait_! _Somebody's out here!_ ' Embry suddenly shouted anxiously in his mind, just as Paul swore while his mind panicked.

' _Sue's SUV is here!'_

' _What!?_ ' Leah shrieked, before she snarled, running faster to their location. Mud kicked up behind her as Leah's paws dug deep into the wet soil.

' _Leah_ , _it's not her! Mom is at home_!' Seth assured his sister. _'I can see her through the window!'_

' _Then who the hell has her car!?'_

While a momentarily confusion swept through the pack, a sudden scent of lemongrass laced within the pungeant stench of the vampire they were chasing down blew in the wind, through the trees and right into Jacob. He gasped within his mind, as images of Bella flooded freely from his thoughts and into the pack.

' _What the hell?! Bella's out here!?'_ Embry exclaimed in reaction to sensing Jacob's sudden rise of anxiety and anger, as the storm around them intensified.

* * *

Deep in the woods, Bella stared down at the blood red iris' that bore into her own eyes. While Bella tried to wrap her mind around how Victoria was there, alive, she clawed desperately at the firm, cold grip that held tightly on her neck. The rain continued to pour down over them while lightning flashed and thunder roared. Victoria ran her tongue over her lips as she smiled.

"Seeing you like this...alone and...human, it has been worth the wait. I had anticipated the Cullen's turning you but I'm glad that they didn't. Finally, I can have my revenge for what Edward Cullen did to my James."

As the rain continued to pour down in sheets over them, Bella's heart pounded in her ears. She moved her mouth, but barely a whisper came from her lips.

Victoria smirked, amused.

"Please," she said, rolling her eyes. "Don't bother wasting my time with your petty begging. Nothing that comes out of your mouth matters. I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart, piece by piece. And when you are finally near death, I'll drain you of your blood and leave your broken body on the doorstep of the Cullen's home for them to find."

Victoria leaned in towards Bella's neck but paused as a sudden scent blew up towards her. Swiftly, she turned her head, her blood-red eyes turning fearful as they scanned the dark woods.

"Damn mongrels," she seethed.

Victoria looked back to Bella, seeing her trembling with her eyes pinched shut while she waited for the inevitable. Suddenly realizing that her original plan of torturing Bella for as long as her human body could hold out wouldn't be happening, Victoria quickly decided on the next best idea.

She'd simply drain Bella of blood before the wolves caught up to her. Victoria ran her tongue along her teeth as she leaned in.

"Don't scream and I'll make this fast," Victoria promised, whispering into her ear before she forcefully turned Bella's head away from her with her other hand.

While Bella's heart raced, she felt as though her life was flashing before her eyes. Memories of living in Arizona, Charlie meeting her at the airport when she first came to Forks, the day that she got that red truck and was reunited with Jacob and Billy, meeting Edward, her months of depression, spending time with Jacob, learning to ride motorcycles with him, realizing that she loved him, kissing him, holding Daniel for the first time, watching him take his first steps, hugging Charlie and hearing him call her Bells, seeing Jacob once again; she saw it all within the fraction of a second.

And it suddenly gave her an intense desire to fight back.

"No," Bella gasped, before reaching out with a closed fist and punched Victoria hard in the face. While Victoria's expression didn't falter and her face didn't move, Bella cried out as pain swept from her hand up to her elbow.

Victoria suddenly snarled, raising her hand and clawed her fingers, eager to strike Bella back across the face.

It all happened within a blink of an eye. Just as she was expecting to feel the pain of Victoria's tough-as-granite hand to hit her across the face, the vampire was suddenly gone and Bella found herself tumbling to the ground. Bella coughed hard, desperate for the air to get back into her oxygen-deprived lungs. As she clutched her sore hand against her chest, Bella looked up from the ground and gasped.

Standing defensively in front of Bella, a creature, as large as a horse but built more like a dog stood, separating her from Victoria, who stood coiled and ready to attack.

"If you let me kill her, I'll leave and you'll never see me again," Victoria seethed, her chest quickly rising and falling in anger. The creature snarled at Victoria as its front claws pawed angrily at the ground. Its ears were back, teeth were bared and its heckles were raised, clearly giving Victoria an answer.

As much as Bella was relieved to have been away from Victoria, she was just as much concerned about the large creature's intentions for her. Never before had she seen anything as menacing. It looked like a large dog or wolf, something fit for the worst of nightmares. Slowly, Bella backed away just as a howl thundered throughout the woods.

It was so loud and piercing that Bella winced and covered her ears with her hands. It had certainly caught Victoria's attention as well. Her eyes darted quickly around her. It was then that Bella noticed the other dark shapes in the woods that seemed to materialize out of thin air. Snarls and growls grew louder as the number of creatures increased.

"I see then," she stated through clenched teeth, looking back to the large wolf in front of her. "This isn't over. I will be back to kill that human and this whole pack of mutts!"

It was obvious that it wasn't what the wolf wanted to hear. It snarled loudly.

Suddenly, one of the creatures in the darkness made their move, causing Victoria to race away in a blur of colour. Bella gasped and pressed herself hard against the tree while the monsters raced past. She sat still, in fear of getting trampled by their large feet or possibly by distracting any of them to the point that they'd turn their attention towards her. They were all gone within a matter of a few seconds. The only thing Bella could hear was the slowly dimming pounding of paws on the ground and echoes of snarls until she was left with just the sound of rain and wind blowing through the canopy above, the distant thunder and her breathing.

She was suddenly alone in the darkness.

The lightning still flashed every so often while the rain continued to fall in torrents and the wind blew heavily through the trees. Afraid that Victoria could kill the beasts and then return for her or equally horrifying, those giant wolves could double back and kill her themselves, Bella stood up and ran.

As stupid as it seemed in her rational mind to think she could possibly outrun Victoria or the wolves, it was better than staying put. She wasn't going to sit around and wait for them.

Adrenaline coursed through Bella as she ran through the darkness, her legs pushing themselves to go faster. Angry tears began to fall down her face, mixing in with the rain that continued to fall. Everything that Bella had thought or had been told about Victoria, were lies. She was alive and she was planning on coming back for her. Nothing would stop her. The Cullen's were gone and Bella was alone. For a moment Bella wondered if she had made a mistake to come back to Forks; to leave Edward. There was a certain security that she felt when he was around and an assurance that no one would bring harm to Daniel. Now that he was gone, so was that sense of safety.

She wouldn't be able to protect Daniel.

Bella came to a stop, her chest heaving as she breathed deeply.

'Get somewhere safe,' Jacob had told her. For Bella, that place didn't exist.

She had come back to Forks assuming that she and Daniel were finally safe from Victoria. Knowing now that that wasn't true, she ran her hands through her hair in frustration and sobbed, her inner turmoil echoing within the woods. Everytime it seemed that her life was starting to turn itself around, she was tossed back into a new living hell that she had no control over.

A second later, a howl pierced the darkness as if it responded to her cry. Bella's eyes widened as she quickly scanned the forest around her. A thunderous pounding of paws on the ground echoed from the distance before they gave way to silence once again.

Bella's heart was pounding in her chest.

Suddenly, a deep, male voice echoed within the forest.

"Hello!? Is someone out there? Mrs. Clearwater!?"

Relieved to hear that she wasn't alone, Bella looked around, wiping the tears and rain from her face. When she suddenly saw a flashlight beam sweep across her, she sighed in relief.

"Hey! Hold on! We're coming!" The voice called out once again.

Moving towards the light and cradling her swelling hand against her chest, Bella took a few steps over the slick ground before she slipped once again. She felt her feet become unsteady on the thick layers of wet leaves and pine needles. But before she could hit the ground, a firm, warm hand grabbed onto her arm. The hand held her tightly until she regained balance. Feeling her heart rate slow back down, Bella looked up at the face in the darkness and met a pair of dark eyes that she knew that she had seen before.

"Bella? It's me, Embry Call. Remember, we met a few years back? I'm a friend of Jake's."

He paused and looked over his shoulder to where Jared was coming up to them with a flashlight.

"And that's Jared - he's a buddy of mine."

Concerned that Bella had yet to say anything and the possibility that she was in shock, Jared quickly came closer with the flashlight while Embry held onto her arm, and looked into her eyes.

"Bella, are you all right?"

"You...you guys shouldn't be out here," she told him softly.

He chuckled.

"I was just going to tell you the same thing. This storm is brutal. We were just driving by and found Sue's car on the side of the road and decided to check it out. Was there an accident?"

Bella nodded absently. "I borrowed her car and I must have...hit something."

"Is that how you hurt your hand?" Jared asked, shining the light against Bella's chest where she was protectively holding it to herself. "You're gonna want to put some ice on that."

Bella looked down at her swollen hand, shivered and nodded.

When another sudden long droned howl echoed within the woods, Bella suddenly turned towards where it came from while Embry and Jared exchanged a glance. They knew that it didn't mean good news; the red-headed vampire had gotten away. And based on what they had learned that evening, it put Bella in serious danger and Jacob was surely going to flip his lid.

"Bella, you gotta be cold. We need to get you out of here," Jared suggested, before he led the way with the flashlight while Embry walked beside Bella.

Neither young man said much, but instead they kept their attention on the woods surrounding them, not only keeping an eye out for any vengeful vampires but also for anyone from the pack.

Bella was never supposed to see the wolves. The moment Jacob saw her pinned against the tree by her neck, he had changed the plans. The pack hadn't ever seen Jacob so livid as he had been when his wolf had been standing in front of Bella, protecting her from the red-head that they had been hunting for over two years. There was a hot blind rage that was so strong that the entire pack had felt it. Sam's order for him to remain in the darkness had gone ignored. While the pack was dumbfounded over the power Jacob had to defeat an Alpha's order, the wolves had subsequently moved in, offering their brother the back-up he needed before the red-headed vampire took off running into the woods.

Concerned over Bella's safety, Sam ordered Embry and Jared to head back to check on Bella and to get her home. It had satisfied the deep worry within Jacob, allowing him to focus enough to chase down Victoria across the reservation with the others.

Embry and Jared quickly led her through the darkness of the woods and back towards the road. Parked behind Sue's car was a dark blue pickup. Embry commented to Jared how they'd come back later to bring Sue's car over to the shop to get repaired and detailed. Bella didn't even have a chance to say that she'd pay for the damages before she was ushered into he passenger seat.

The door shut behind her while Embry climbed into the front seat and began to turn on the pick up. She was just about to question where Jared was when she felt the truck rock slightly and caught a glimpse of him climbing into the back of the pickup.

"He gets carsick, especially on the crappy roads that we have around here," Embry explained, glancing back at his friend through the rear-view mirror before quickly pulling out onto the road.

While that might have been true, it also gave Jared a better vantage point on detecting scents as they drove through La Push. If the red-headed vampire was anywhere near them, Jared would know first.

Inside the truck, Bella shivered under the warm vents that Embry had purposely aimed towards her. While they drove, she glanced over at him every so often, watching his eyes staring firmly out the windshield at the dark road ahead of them. It was then that she noticed that Embry was only wearing a pair of cutoff jean shorts, a black t-shirt and shoes. To Bella, he had to have been cold. Like her, he was drenched from head to toe.

And then there was Jared sitting in the back of the truck, seeming not to care about the possibility of freezing to death. Despite the lull in the rain, it was still quite windy and she knew he had to have been cold. When she looked back at him through the window, he smiled at her, not seeming the least bit uncomfortable.

Embry joked, stating how the cold doesn't bother him too much and that it must be a Quileute thing.

"Quileute thing or not, he's going to get himself sick."

Embry laughed.

"You can't get sick from being out in the cold, Bella. Either way, we're almost at Emily's."

"Emily's?"

"Yeah, she's Sam's fiancé. She's nice and you can warm up there."

Bella shook her head, her eyes worried. "No, no, I have...I need to get back to Sue's."

"We can't. The storm knocked down a tree out that way. The road is out."

"There has to be another way around it."

"Not unless we drive all the way around the Rez," Embry explained. "That would be another good forty minute drive and, Jared and I need to get back to work clearing the roads with Sam"

Sam.

"Is Jacob out there with him?"

Embry swallowed. "Yeah."

That made sense now. It aggravated Bella to know that Sam had such a hold on Jacob that he felt the need to suddenly take off while she was telling him something as important as Daniel.

"Then, could you at least tell Jake to come find me when he's done working? I really need to finish talking with him. It's important."

Embry nodded nonchalantly, already knowing without a doubt that Jacob didn't need to be told.

"And...you guys need to be safe out there," she added.

"We always are," Embry assured her with a smile. "We've been trained. We know what we're doing."

Bella shook her head.

"No, that's not what I mean. There are...animals out there...dangerous ones, and I don't want anything to happen to any of you."

Embry nodded, simply wanting the conversation to end there, but to Bella, she took it as he was just pacifying her rather than taking her concerns to heart.

"Embry, I'm serious. There are wolves out in the woods."

"-we know," he interrupted her. "We've heard them. But they aren't dangerous. I haven't heard about them coming near people."

"But have you seen them?"

Embry shook his head.

"I have," Bella told him. "They are huge. I've never seen wolves that big before."

"That doesn't mean that they are dangerous though."

Embry had a point. Yet while they didn't attack her, they could certainly still be a threat.

"They were chasing..."

Her words drifted off and she shook her head. "I need to call my Dad when we get to Emily's. He needs to know about them."

Embry pursed his lips before he glanced over at Bella as she sat in the passenger seat with her hands held out over the vents. His eyes caught sight of Jared looking over his shoulder at them, apparently having heard their conversation in the front seat.

The truck skidded to a stop over the wet stones in front of Emily's house before Embry turned off the engine. Jared jumped out of the back and opened the passenger door for Bella. His keen eyes noticed Brady as he suddenly raced past the house on his patrol of the area. He sighed, knowing now that Jacob would know that Bella was safe.

The pair were eager to get back out there, especially after the last howl that they had heard in the woods.

Inside the house, Emily had seen the headlights of the truck and had peered through the door window. She was at the door before they even made it onto the porch. Hoping that one of them were Sam, her smile fell when she noticed Embry and then Jared in the darkness.

Emily became even more confused when she saw the visibly shorter and non-native young woman following beside them. Still, she smiled politely.

"What's going on?" She asked, looking between Jared and Embry.

Embry shrugged. "We're just stopping by before heading back to work."

Emily knew what the 'work' really entailed. Her eyes fell onto Bella.

"And who's this?"

"Bella Swan. Who else?" Jared replied cockily.

Emily sighed at his lack of tact while Embry sneered at him.

"Bella had a car accident and was stuck in this weather. We were going to take her back to Sue's place, but the road is out that way."

Emily had heard plenty about Bella Swan; both the good and the bad. As leery as she was about inviting her into the house, if she was brought to her place by someone within the pack, it had to have been for a good reason. Simply knowing that Bella had been in a car accident and she was currently drenched in cold rain was enough for Emily to put those opinions aside.

Her eyes glanced to where Bella was clutching her wrist protectively against her chest.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, looking at Emily and seeing for the first time what Embry was meaning about not staring. Even in the low light of the flashlight, Bella could see that half of her face was distorted by scars. Still, she was beautiful. Her dark eyes were soft and friendly and her black hair was pulled back in a simple braid.

"I might have broken my hand in the accident."

Without another word, Emily took Bella by the arm and ushered her into the warm house. A fire was glowing in the fireplace and it illuminated the entire open living area into the kitchen. While Emily sat Bella down at the large kitchen table, Jared and Embry assured her that they would take care of Sue's car and return once they cleared the roads.

"Be careful out there," Bella insisted.

Embry nodded, recalling her concern with the wolves before Jared spoke up.

"Yeah, don't worry Bella. We're tougher than we look."

Embry slapped Jared's stomach playfully with the back of his hand, indicating that they should get going. Regardless, Bella couldn't help but worry as they left the house.

While Emily sat down beside her with an ice pack, a closed plastic container of cookies, her flashlight and a roll of elastic bandages, a door opened at the end of the hallway and a quickening of footsteps suddenly rushed out of a room.

"Is it the guys? Are they back? Is it over?"

Bella recognized the voice and looked up just as Rachel Black came from the hallway, a flashlight in her hand. When her eyes rested on Bella, they narrowed slightly.

"No," Emily replied, reaching out for Bella's injured hand. "Embry and Jared were just here to drop off Bella because the roads are out heading back to Sue's."

Rachel snorted and crossed her arms. "Lucky us."

Hearing her obvious sarcasm, Emily looked over her shoulder and cast her a warning glare. She had heard from Sam about the altercation that had happened in front of the Black's house the morning before. While Rachel had gotten a stern lecture from Billy, it was obvious that she still harboured hard feelings against Bella.

Rachel loved her brother and despised Bella for what she had done to him. After she had heard about what had happened between them and how far into depression her brother had fallen, mainly for her father's sake, she had come home from school that summer. Not only had Rachel intended to become the big sister that Jacob had needed growing up all those years ago, she was also tossed into the messed up world of mythical creatures when Paul imprinted on her. It was then that she suddenly knew all the details and understood the depth of Jacob's loss and feeling of betrayal. Despite Billy's insistence that she leave the past in the past, Rachel wasn't ready to let it go and Emily could see it on her face.

"Rach, would you mind grabbing an extra t-shirt and pants of mine for Bella to wear?"

With an eye roll, Rachel walked back down the dark hallway. Emily turned to Bella, and placed the ice pack over her knuckles. The weight of the small plastic bag hurt slightly, but the coldness quickly numbed it away. Bella's mind was still on Embry and Jared, knowing that they certainly could be in danger as they worked around La Push. She knew the creatures that lurked out there and she'd hate for them to run into them.

Seeing Bella deep in thought, Emily opened the plastic container, grabbed a large cookie and pushed it towards Bella.

"I'd offer you some tea too, but with the power outage, snacks are limited tonight."

Bella smiled, taking a cookie. With a smirk, Emily took a second one for herself before closing the container and reached for the elastic bandage.

"I'd love to blame my appetite on finally being over my morning sickness but I just don't like storms like this. I tend to eat when I'm anxious."

Emily reached once again for Bella's hand, and gently turned it over while Bella carefully bent her knuckles. A smile came to her face when she realized it was only sprained and didn't appear broken. While she proceeded to wrap it up, Bella watched Emily until she pinned the bandage to the back of her wrist.

"No one told me that you were pregnant."

Emily nodded, taking a quick bite of cookie before absently rubbing her stomach. "That's okay. It's still early and I hide it well. I'm only a few months along."

"She's actually going on 14 weeks and she's looking awesome," Rachel commented, as she walked back towards the table with clothing in her arms. She passed them to Emily before she slid them over towards Bella.

"I had some severe morning sickness and I'm only starting to gain weight now."

"I don't think I could have handled morning sickness longer than the short few weeks that I had it," Bella commented, taking the clothes before she stood up from the table. "But smells still bothered me over the entire nine months, coffee especially."

Emily blinked and looked at Bella up and down, realizing that surely she couldn't be pregnant at the moment given what she had just said and that she must have been implying the past.

"Wait - you had a baby?"

Bella looked at her, seeing the shock, not only on Emily's face but on Rachel's as well.

"Uh, yeah, a year ago in February. He's over at Sue's right now."

"Who's the father?" Rachel rudely asked, causing Emily to sigh.

Rachel shrugged. "What? Don't tell me that I'm the only one wondering that."

"It's none of our business," Emily told her, before smiling apologetically towards Bella.

"That's okay, Emily." Bella took a deep breath. "It's Jacob."

Rachel paused, a blank expression on her face.

"My brother?"

Bella nodded.

"Does he know?"

"I told him earlier tonight, before he suddenly had to go," she explained.

"Holy shit," Rachel mumbled, surprise suddenly visibly evident on her face. "Jake's a dad?!"

Smiling, Emily reached for Bella's good hand and squeezed it.

"This is wonderful!" She exclaimed happily, putting a hand to her stomach. "My baby will have someone to play with. And I'll have someone to bother with endless questions, if you don't mind, of course. There isn't anyone else that I know around here who is closer to my age and has a baby."

Bella forced a smile to her face, finding herself wanting to have that friendship and connection to someone that she had never had before. Being a first-time Mom and having had to learn things on her own had been tough. She would have loved to have had a friend, not only for herself but for Daniel as well. But deep down, she knew that with the threat against her life from Victoria, she wouldn't be staying in Forks long enough to create that relationship, or any relationship for that matter. The last thing she'd want would be to put anyone in danger here by her presence.

But could she really go and take Daniel with her when he was just starting to get to know his family? Yet just the thought of leaving him behind caused a panic to rise up within her. Bella had always been with Daniel, since the day he was born. She had been the one who cared for him, fed him, changed him, cleaned him... Daniel had been her life.

Bella even wondered if Jacob would be so passive as to let her freely take Daniel away with her. He had yet to even meet him and based on his reaction to finding out he was a father, Bella didn't know what to expect from him. Regardless of her plans, she still had to let Charlie know about the wolves that she had seen in the woods.

After having gotten herself changed into Emily's clothes, she borrowed the phone and sat down in a quiet corner of the kitchen.

"Hi Dad," she said softly, after hearing him answer her phone call.

' _Bells! Oh thank God!'_ Charlie breathe in relief. ' _Where are you?'_

"At Emily's house. She's Sam Uley's fiancé. I ran into some car trouble."

' _Car trouble? What kind of car trouble?_ '

"It's okay Dad, I'm fine. Two of Jake's friend's picked me up."

' _Jake's friend's? Where is Jake at?_ '

Bella sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't know. He...uh...he ran off after I told him about Daniel."

There was an audible pause before Charlie spoke again.

 _'He ran off? Seriously!?'_

"Dad, but there's something more important that I need to tell you though." Bella turned towards the kitchen window over the sink and lowered her voice. "After the accident, I saw something."

' _What do you mean, you saw something?'_

"Wolves. There had to have been at least 5 or 6 of them."

She heard Charlie sigh.

' _Yeah, I've gotten calls about wolves being seen around La Push for the past year and half. For a while we thought that they were involved in some unsolved deaths in the area. Unfortunately, we really can't do much about it. Quileute tribal law protects them from being hunted on the reservation. They're a sacred animal to them.'_

Bella paused, suddenly recalling the conversation that she had had with Jacob on the beach all those years ago when he had told her about the Cold Ones and how he subsequently told her the truth about the Cullen's. She had completely forgotten about the part with the wolves and how Jacob had told her the legends of how the Quileute's supposedly descended from them. At the time, her focus was all about Edward and his unusual family. She never considered that if there was truth within the legends involving the Cullen's being an enemy clan, then perhaps it also rang true with the part about wolves as well.

Even as she considered it, it seemed crazy to think about. After all, the creatures she had seen didn't resemble wolves that she had seen in books or on television.

"But they were huge," Bella breathed aloud softly.

Charlie paused.

' _Bella? You okay? Did you hit your head?_ '

"No, I didn't."

She heard Charlie sigh audibly over the phone. ' _Huge_ _wolves, huh?'_

"Maybe."

Again, he sighed.

' _Well, whatever you saw something out there, we wont be able to check it out at least until tomorrow. Power is still out here and I have a feeling I might be called into work. With this weather, they'll probably need the department to close some roads until cleanup can happen. Don't worry about us here though. Daniel fell asleep on Billy about ten minutes ago. Poor kiddo cried himself to sleep.'_

Bella's heart suddenly clenched at the mention of Daniel.

"Thanks for looking after him. I'll be back as soon as possible."

' _No problem. Just...uh...don't fall asleep anytime soon.'_

"Dad, I don't have a concussion."

' _Still, just...keep your eyes open.'_

"Bye Dad."

When she hung up, Bella wondered if perhaps she had been seeing things when she had been in the woods. She knew that she had been in shock, having seen Victoria when she thought that she had been killed. It could have been possible that her mind had fabricated the whole thing to something that made sense. But that didn't explain how she was so close that she could feel the intense heat that seemed to radiate from the wolf in front of her. It seemed to only have eyes on Victoria, a vampire; the wolves natural enemy.

Bella shook her head.

It was just too crazy for it to be real...right?

* * *

The red-head vampire was gone.

As though she had suddenly disappeared into thin air, there was no sign of her being on the reservation or anywhere else for that matter. Paul and Sam had raced as far south as Oregon while Jacob, Leah and Quil headed up to the Canadian border with no trace of the rancid stench that they had been tracking. It simply disappeared.

' _Guys, I have a feeling she might have gone into the ocean,'_ Jared commented as he and Embry raced along the Washington coastline after having dropped Bella off at Emily's.

With that suggestion in mind, the pack regrouped back in La Push and did a thorough search of the reservation and the land surrounding it before finally concluding that Jared might have been right. Planning to meet within the woods behind Sam and Emily's place, Quil and Jacob were the first to arrive.

Quil was just zipping up his shorts when he came up to Jacob who stood with his arms crossed, waiting for the others.

"Relax, Jake. We'll get her the next time she comes around."

Jacob took a deep breath, a growl vibrating in his chest. "The next time, she'll be coming back to kill Bella."

"And us," Quil reminded him.

Jacob scoffed incredulously

"We can protect ourselves, she can't."

Quil let out a sigh. "Dude, why don't you just say it out loud."

"Say what?"

"You're still in love with Bella."

Jacob snorted and chuckled. "You're wrong."

"Then, what the hell was going on with you tonight? I've never seen you act like that before."

Jacob knew exactly what Quil was implying; his intense reaction to seeing Bella being held by her neck against the tree, and his inability to focus until he knew that she was safe.

"I would've expected any of us with imprints to go fly off the handle like you did, but not you," Quil continued.

Jacob ran his hand through his hair before he explained what Quil's grandfather had told him. Having never heard anything like it before, Quil breathed out in amazement.

"Holy shit. I guess that explains why you can't get over her."

"I just hope your grandpa can find a way to break it so I can move on."

"And it's all because you were extra kinky when you guys had sex two years ago?! Ironically enough, you knocked her up at the same time."

Jacob glared at him, while Quil shrugged. "What? It's true, isn't it? You're a dad."

"Seems to be."

Quil smiled at him. "That has to be a pretty awesome feeling."

Jacob winced.

"Actually, I'm torn between freaking out cause a bloodsucker is coming back someday for Bella and throwing up from learning from Seth and Sam that Cullen was wanting to raise my son as his own."

Upon seeing his unusually paled face, Quil took a notably long step back from his friend.

"I don't blame you. It makes me feel sick too."

"Me being a dad...it seems impossible though," Jacob stated. "Bella and I...we only had sex once!"

"They say it only takes one time."

"What I don't understand is why Bella came back now. Why not two years ago when she found out she was pregnant?"

"There has to be a reason. We know that she and your kid were with the Cullen's and she's said that she wasn't in love with that Edward guy when she left," Quil said, recalling Jacob's memories as well as Sam's conversation with Bella after she arrived. "Maybe her leaving Forks wasn't a voluntary thing."

Jacob looked at him. "You're thinking the Cullen's were keeping them away from here?"

Quil shrugged. "They're bloodsuckers! I wouldn't put it past any of them to pull off fucked up shit like that, especially if they knew..."

"- if they knew that Daniel was Quileute."

Jacob looked towards Sam's house and took a deep breath, before pushing his way through the thicket into the rear yard.

"I need to go talk to her again."

"Jake!" Quil exclaimed. "Sam wanted us to wait."

Jacob glared back at him, growling.

"Sam purposely kept the news of me having a son from me. He can go to hell for all I care."

"Man, you don't mean that. Hold on, Jake," Quil said, following after him.

They had only gone a few feet into the yard when Sam's stern voice caught up to him.

"Jacob!"

Clenching his jaw, Jacob turned to find his Alpha, as well as Embry, Jared, Leah, and Paul coming out of the woods. Based on Sam's expression, it was obvious that he had overheard Jacob's final comment.

"I didn't tell you about Daniel because I didn't know how you would handle it. Jake, I was thinking of Bella and Daniel."

Jacob scoffed. "The Alpha in you always needs to have that control, don't you. Even when it comes to our individual lives."

"Bella was wanting to tell you before you heard it from anyone else. That's why I didn't have Seth phase. He wouldn't have been able to keep it a secret for long. He loves your son."

Sam sighed.

"I know that you're just upset over what happened tonight with the red-head. We'll find her and kill her," he assured her. "Daniel is pack and we'll protect him as well as Bella. No leech will touch either of them."

Jacob nodded stiffly before he deflated slightly. "And about what happened out there when I made a move before you gave the order..."

"-don't worry about it, Jake. It was a right call for the situation. There was no other option."

"But now Bella knows there are giant wolves living around La Push," Jared said, with a sigh. "What are we gonna do about that one?"

"We'll have to be more discreet for the next little while."

Wanting to discuss something further with Jacob, Sam dismissed the others and told them to go inside to dry off and get something to eat. He watched them until they disappeared inside the house.

"When you made that move to step out and protect Bella, did you feel anything?"

A smirk graced Jacob's face. "All I was feeling was anger."

Sam nodded.

"I suppose that makes sense given the situation. But I felt something else and I'm pretty sure the others did to. I'm just not sure if they recognized what was happening."

Jacob was confused. He hadn't noticed anything. "What do you mean?"

"Jake, for a brief, few seconds, you became Alpha."


	14. Chapter 14

**_A/N - Thank you for keeping with me. I had a keyboard malfunction this week. I would type and whenever I'd type an R, K, N, or D, I'd get a run-on of those letters...so annoying and frustrating! So, I've had that fixed and I'm back at it. I hope this chapter meets your expectations. Please review! :)_**

* * *

Thunder rolled in the distance and over the sound of the crackling fire within the hearth. Emily had dozed off on the couch while Rachel sat crossed legged on the floor in front of her with a stack of magazines and a flashlight in hand to read them. At the opposite end of the couch, Bella sat, staring into the flames that danced over the wood. No one had spoken in quite a while and it allowed her mind to consider many things as she sat in the silence. Bella was so deep in thought that a sudden rumbling over the porch startled her. Her mind couldn't help but assume that Victoria had once again found her.

On the floor, Rachel sat up straight before quickly turning her attention to the front door. Ceremoniously, the door was pushed open before Paul walked in, shaking the water out of his short hair with his hands.

Rachel's eyes lit up before she sprang up from the floor, dropping the magazines on her lap with a slap, startling Emily to wake. Rachel dashed across the dim room and jumped up into Paul's arms, her legs wrapping around his waist before her mouth descended upon his.

Bella watched as Emily stood up and made her way over to the door just as Paul and Rachel were pushed aside to allow Embry, and another young man to walk into the house. They teased and feigned gagging over the public display of affection being held at the threshold of the home before making their way into the kitchen.

Embry caught sight of Emily, and told her that Sam would be in shortly with Jacob.

Upon hearing his name, Bella pushed herself up to stand. The commotion continued into the kitchen with Emily's voice bellowing unusually loud over the noise.

"With the power out, you're going to have to settle for sandwiches tonight. Take everything to the table where there's more light."

Bella watched as the broad shoulder men moved quickly with armfuls of bread, cheese, meats, mayo and jars of pickles, olives and peanut butter and laid them on the kitchen table. One of them looked up and caught her staring before he smirked.

"We love our sandwiches," he told her with a wink.

Bella continued to stare at him, realizing that she somehow knew him, yet she couldn't place the face. When the front door suddenly opened once again, her attention was drawn back to it. A young woman, with her short hair plastered against her face from the rain walked in and glared at her sourly before Embry tossed her a towel to dry off.

"What are you staring at?" She said, scowling at Bella before making her way towards the bathroom.

"Don't mind Leah," Embry told her.

"She's not a fan of this weather," the other young man added.

Leah?

Almost instantly, Bella made the connection of who this angry woman was. Not only was Leah the one who had blocked her path when she had been intent on talking with Jacob the day prior but years ago, Quil had told her about Leah's part within a strange love triangle between her cousin and Sam Uley. As Bella suddenly realized who Emily was in the twisted story, Embry spoke loudly from where he was quickly putting together a massive sandwich.

"Quil, you complain more about the weather than she does!"

It suddenly hit her. He was Quil - the stalky boy whom Jacob once told her that he had a crush on her. While Quil had gotten taller and more broad shouldered since she had seen him last, his eyes and smile had remained the same. As Bella recalled her last conversation with him and how he had mourned the loss of his friends to Sam's gang, it was clear that Quil was now a card-carrying member of the club. It seemed that Quil didn't appear upset about the turn of events. In fact, he seemed at ease within the group as he teased Embry back before he happily encouraged Bella to sit down beside him.

"Come and join us, Bella," Embry added with a smile as he sat down with his sandwich. "And don't worry. I'll make sure that Quil wont bite."

Embry grinned at Quil's narrowed eyes.

"He had better not," Emily warned, leaning over the boys and placing a stack of cups on the table. "They all know that I have rules in my house when it comes to the treatment of guests and the behaviour of the boys whom I have at my table."

Quil rolled his eyes and groaned, having heard the 'rules' from Emily far too many times. She was determined to keep her pack of wolves as civilized as possible.

Ignoring Quil beside her, Bella turned back to Embry.

"So, where's Jared?"

"Knowing him, he's half-way to his girlfriend's house by now," Paul quickly answered with an amused smirk. Carrying a tall sandwich on a plate, he sat down beside Embry. "That boy is whipped."

"Dude, and you aren't?"

Paul smirked as his eyes caught Rachel as she walked out of the kitchen with a glass of water in her hand.

"Didn't say I wasn't. I was just stating a fact."

Quil laughed, and continued the conversation with Paul regarding Jared and his inability to say no to anything Kim suggested. Embry chuckled while Rachel smirked, finding that she rather liked hearing the laughter within the house especially after a tense evening. Emily did her best to speak on Jared's behalf, but soon found herself adding fuel to fire with the mention about Sam being the same way. Howls of laughter seemed to echo out of the house.

Bella turned her attention to Embry, just as he took another bite of his sandwich. He caught her eye and she leaned forward.

"Did you guys happen to see any wolves when you were out there tonight?" She said softly beneath the noise around them.

Hearing the question, Embry choked slightly before Paul pounded him on the back a few times. Emily quickly passed him a glass of water just as Leah walked out from the bathroom with a smile on her face. She had overheard Bella's soft question and Embry's subsequent choking.

Amused, Paul laughed as he stretched his arm out and put it around Rachel.

"There's all kinds of wild animals around here, Bella. I'd stay out of the woods, if I were you. You wouldn't want to end up like some of those dead hikers."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Ignore him. He likes to scare people with his twisted sense of humour."

"Yeah, because for Paul everything is a joke," Quil added.

"Funny things usually are," Paul stated with a dark smirk. "Like, how little Quil here still has a crush on Bella after all these years."

Rather than get into a physical altercation like they usually would, Quil just rolled his eyes and casually shot Paul the middle finger from across the table.

"Dude, that was like three years ago."

"Some feelings just don't change though, no matter how much you try to deny it," Paul stated. "Just ask Jacob."

The patio door opened before Sam and Jacob walked into the house.

"Ask me what?"

Paul chuckled, looking down at his sandwich before winking across the table at Bella.

"Paul was just being his usual self," Emily admitted as she walked up to Sam, and greeted him with a kiss.

"That doesn't sound very comforting," Sam said, glaring down at the man sitting in front of him.

"I was being a perfect gentleman."

While Rachel covered her mouth to hide her smile, Quil chuckled.

"I'm sure you were," Sam said, not entirely convinced.

With a sigh, he smiled at Bella before turning to Jacob beside him.

"Jake, would you mind driving Bella back to Sue's place? I'm sure that there is someone there that she's wanting to get back to sooner than later."

Smiling curtly, Jacob took the offered keys for Sam's truck and turned to head outside.

Bella could feel her heart beating hard in her chest as she hugged Emily and said her goodbye's to the others. When it came to talking to Jacob about something as important as Daniel, her nerves hit an all-time high. After Jacob's reaction to her telling him that he was a father on the beach, Bella wasn't expecting an easy conversation.

Waiting outside for her, Jacob could hear Bella's heart racing. He looked up at the dark sky above him and clenched his fingers, praying to whatever spirits that were nearby would grant him the words that he needed to say and the way to say them without getting his anger involved.

Suddenly finding out that he had a son was one thing; discovering that his son spent his entire life being raised by a vampire had brought that anger to a whole new level. Jacob had so many questions and as he walked out onto the driveway towards Sam's pickup, he found himself becoming more and more frustrated.

The sudden scent of lemongrass infiltrated his senses and he couldn't help but take a deep breath. It momentarily calmed the anger within him. Finally, he turned, finding that Bella was standing only a few feet behind him.

"Bella, why didn't you tell me that I had a son? You could have called, wrote a letter...anything! Did you think that I wouldn't have wanted to know?!"

Bella had expected this reaction and anticipated him wanting to talk about Daniel, but not in the middle of Sam and Emily's driveway when she was certain they were within earshot of the people inside.

"Of course not! And I did call. Your Dad told me that you didn't want to talk to me."

Jacob nodded and sighed, his eyes narrowing. "He was right. I didn't."

"So, how was I supposed to tell you?"

"You could have just come home when you found out you were pregnant."

"Jake, I couldn't."

He scoffed as he shook his head. "You couldn't? What the hell do you mean, you couldn't?"

Bella growled and ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"Dammit Jake!" She exclaimed. "I just...I can't explain it."

"Did it have anything to do with Cullen? Did that fucking bastard threaten you?"

"No!" Bella shouted before taking a deep breath. "It was nothing like that. He was protecting me!"

Memories of earlier that evening when Bella was being held to the tree by the red-headed vampire came to mind. The vampire's words and threats towards Bella replayed in Jacob's mind.

He lowered his voice.

"Protecting you? Protecting you from what?!"

Bella opened her mouth, finding the words on the tip of her tongue. But she couldn't force them out. She shook her head.

"You know what? Don't worry about it. I can deal with it," she told him resignedly, before she walked past him towards the passenger side of Sam's pickup.

Jacob didn't move in the driveway, but watched her walk past. Finally, he turned.

"'Don't worry about it?' Are you in some sort of trouble?"

Bella turned to look to him and smiled for his benefit.

"I'll be fine, Jake."

Even as she had said it, she was trying to convince herself of the same thing. Bella turned back to the truck.

"You don't need to worry about me."

Bella pulled open the door an inch before it was suddenly pushed shut despite her tugging. Looking towards the top of the window, she saw Jacob's russet hand pushing against the door, holding it closed. With a sigh, Bella turned and found Jacob leaning over her, his arm still outstretched, holding the passenger door closed.

How he had come up behind her so quickly and quietly was beyond her, and it was the furthest thing from her mind. At the moment, all Bella could concentrate on was how close he currently was. Bella could feel heat radiating off of him as his eyes seemed to look right into her. Jacob was close enough that she could smell an earthy freshness mixed with the scent of the newly fallen rain. It had been years since she had been so close to him and Bella felt heat rise in her cheeks from his proximity.

Jacob heard her heart rate speed up as he leaned over her. He took a quick inhale of a breath, and he surpressed a groan as the wolf delighted in being so close to the woman Jacob had marked as his years earlier.

He swallowed.

"I know you and I aren't in the greatest of places right now, but I can help you...and Daniel. Let me help you."

Bella shook her head.

"Jake, you can't. This is something that is above anything that you could possibly do for me. I appreciate the offer, but I got myself into this and I don't want to drag anyone else into it." Bella paused before she continued, her eyes averting from his face.

"But there is something that you can do for me."

"What's that?"

Bella took a deep breath, feeling her throat choke up on her before she could even say the words.

"Something came up and I have to leave Forks again," she admitted, forcing a smile onto her face. The seriousness in her tone, caused Jacob to back away from her in surprise. This wasn't what he was expecting. "And for his safety, I'm going to leave Daniel here. I need you to.."

Bella felt a sob well up in her chest before she took a deep breath, forcing it back down.

"I need you to look after him. Jake, I get that the whole father thing is new to you and forgive me for not telling you about him sooner. I'm sure that Billy or my Dad and even Sue could help you out for a while. I can't speak for them, but I know my Dad loves Daniel and would be willing to help raise him."

All the while as she spoke, Jacob shook his head.

"Bella, you don't have to leave."

"I have no choice."

"And I know what it's like to grow up without a Mom. You can't do that to Daniel."

"Believe me, I don't want to."

"You have no choice, right?" There was a thick layer of anger laced within his words. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe running away from your problems isn't going to solve anything? That's always been your solution, Bella - you get scared, you run away."

"I'm not running from my problems!" She growled at him. "I'm doing this for you, for Daniel...to keep everyone safe."

Jacob took a step towards Bella, a darkness on his face that caused a ripple of momentary fear to course through her.

"For me and Daniel, huh? How the hell is you running away from Forks supposed to keep us safe? Did you come back just to leave Daniel here before you ran back to that filthy bloodsucker that you love?"

Bella paused, seeing the anger on his face, reminiscent of that to when she had spoken to him on the beach earlier that night. He had jumped to conclusions then and had said similar things that still gave her pause.

...

" _You were fucking pregnant with that leech's baby!?_ "

...

" _How the hell is that even possible!? They're fucking dead!"_

...

" _Tell me Bella, was that filthy bloodsucker that you love as good a lover as I was?"_

 _..._

She realized that Jacob had a deep hatred for Edward, but having remembered being told the Quileute legends regarding the Cullen's, Bella wondered if perhaps Jacob thought of them as being more than just stories and possibly knew about them as much as she did. If that were true, for Bella, it would make explaining everything all the more easier to explain. He wouldn't think of her as crazy. Feeling bold within the darkness of Sam and Emily's driveway, it was now or never.

"Bloodsucker? You called Edward that before."

Jacob pause, taken aback and cursing his loose tongue. He quickly recovered and scoffed.

"He took you away from me. I've used more colourful words to describe him in the past."

Bella shook her head.

"But, 'bloodsucker'? You told me the Quileute legends a few years ago, and referred to the Cullen's as descended from an enemy clan known as the Cold Ones - vampires. Remember?"

Jacob smirked darkly and crossed his arms.

"The legends are just some old scary stories."

"But with every legend, there's a bit of truth in them." She paused and glanced over at him, taking a deep breath before she spoke. "What would you say if I told you that the Cullen's are a family of vampires and that there is a vampire named Victoria who wants to kill me because Edward killed her mate? And in order to protect the ones that I care about here from being hurt by Victoria I have to leave Forks."

Jacob's arms fell to his sides as her words hit him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. Things were suddenly starting to make sense; the reason behind the red-headed vampire frequenting the area, her subsequent threat against Bella, Bella's reasoning for suddenly wanting to leave Forks and leave Daniel behind. While it all began to come together, another thought came to Jacob's mind - this Victoria could have been the reason behind Bella leaving originally two years ago.

Curses filled his mind as anger flooded his vision, yet only one word left his lips.

"Shit."

"That's not exactly the reaction I was expecting," Bella admitted softly while Jacob shook his head.

"Are you serious? About what you said, about...this vampire wanting to kill you."

"Yeah...I mean...". She paused, shaking her head in disbelief over what was happening. "Wait, you actually believe me about the Cullen's?"

Jacob took a step closer to Bella, clenching his fists at his sides.

"Bella, you can't leave," he implored to her, still digesting that Bella finally admitted to him what he had known all along about the Cullen's. At the same time, he was afraid for her safety if she left Forks.

Bella looked at him, seeing the anger in his face, but found that for once it not being directed at her.

"How..? I don't get why you believe me. I thought you'd laugh."

He shrugged. "The legends are part of our culture. Besides, I've seen too many freaky things around here to not believe in them."

"The wolves," Bella concluded, swallowing thickly.

"You've seen them?"

Jacob already knew the answer to that. Bella nodded, explaining to him how she had seen them in the woods along with Victoria.

Jacob nodded. "They'll protect you. Their job is to protect people from vampires. They're here to fight them; kill them. That's why I'm telling you that you don't have to leave."

Bella scoffed incredulously. "And here I thought that you were going to think that I was insane."

A small smile pulled at Jacob's mouth.

"So, they're werewolves?"

Jacob shrugged. "Our legends call them Spirit Warriors."

"And they're really wolves that turn into men?"

Jacob hesistated, considering how he should answer her. Sam aside, he knew that his Dad would flip if he found out that he had told Bella about the pack. It was years ago when he still thought of the legends as being silly stories and he had unknowingly broken the treaty by telling Bella everything.

"That's what the legends say."

"But who are they, really?"

Jacob smiled, knowing that he wasn't going to go there. "No one really knows. But trust me, Bella when I say that you're safe here."

* * *

Silence had filled the small house. There were no more conversations and either than Embry's soft drumming of his fingers on the table and the ticking of the clock, it was quiet. Emily could vaguely hear the muffled tones of words being spoken outside, but there was no way that she could clearly make out what was being said. And for that, she was glad. This was a conversation that Jacob and Bella had to have in private. Except now as she looked at the pack members sitting around her table, all eating unusually slow, she knew that later, Jacob would have wished he had chosen a more discreet location to talk to Bella.

"You guys aren't eavesdropping, are you?"

Clearing his throat, Quil took another large bite of his sandwich before exchanging an anxious look with Embry across from him.

"They had better not be," Sam stated, as he walked out of the kitchen with his own sandwich. "There will be double patrols for those that do."

Paul rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Sam. You can't be serious. Aren't you the least bit interested to hear what Leech Lov..." he paused upon seeing Sam's dark glare, "...Bella has to say?"

"I am," Sam admitted as he sat down beside Emily. "But that is between her and Jake. It'll be up to him to fill us in later, if he even chooses to."

"But she ran with vampires," Leah argued.

"Maybe in the past," Embry told her. "But I don't think she is anymore."

"What's important right now, is that they have a child together and they'll need to come to some sort of understanding, for Daniel's sake," Emily added while Paul snorted.

"Either way, if I were Jake, I wouldn't trust her."

"I guess it's a good thing that you aren't Jake," Quil mumbled.

Paul sat up straight and narrowed his eyes at Quil. "What the hell do you mean by that, Ateara?"

"I mean, what do you have against Bella? You've been so hard nosed about her ever since she came back."

"To me, she is a Cullen. She chose to fall in love and live with a fucking vampire, the same damned creature that knew that by sticking around Forks, we'd turn into monsters. If my life wasn't already fucked up enough, I had to deal with shifting into a huge ass wolf. If that's not a kick in the balls, I don't know what is. Knowing that she left Jake for a Cullen didn't put her on my list of favourite people."

"People can change, Paul," Rachel said softly. "I know you have."

Quil nodded across from him.

"You're not an angry bastard anymore," he said before he smirked. "Now, you're just a bastard."

A smile appeared on Paul's face before it suddenly disappeared, his head quickly turning towards the closed door behind him.

"Did you guys hear that?"

Silence descended over them again, and not even Sam warned them about eavesdropping. He was listening as well, not believing what he was hearing.

Quil was the first to speak.

"Holy shit. Bella told Jake about the Cullen's."

"What?" Rachel squeaked in shock, looking from Quil to Paul beside her who was chuckling.

"I didn't think she'd have it in her to betray them. Maybe she really has changed."

"Yeah, I'm starting to think that her dislike for Edward is legit," Quil added with a smirk. "I think she..."

The smile quickly fell just as Sam stood up swiftly, having overheard the same words that had been spoken by Jacob.

"Fuck," Embry breathed. "Jake wouldn't tell her about us being the wolves she saw, would he?"

"He's not allowed," Sam replied softly. "I trust that he wont."

Quil leaned back in his chair and sighed. "So, that red-head has been after Bella all this time. She only came back because she thought that Victoria had been killed."

"Victoria?" Emily asked.

"The vampire we've been hunting for years," Sam said darkly. "She's been here, looking for Bella all this time. And now that she knows Bella's back, she's a target."

"As is Daniel, if Victoria finds out about him," Embry stated.

"She wont," Sam assured them, as the sound of the pickup turning on rumbled into the house. "And I'm sure that Jacob will be ensuring that."


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N - Ok, go ahead and hate me. I wouldn't blame you! I've been kicking myself in the ass to get this chapter done for a few weeks now. Something always seems to come up... That, and I've been going back and forth trying to decide which way I should be going for this story...and it's driving me crazy!_**

 ** _Your PM's, kind reviews and follows have been so much appreciative to know that so far, I'm heading in the right direction. So, thank you so much for them! You have no idea how far a simple message of encouragement goes!_**

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Jacob's fingers tapped casually along the steering wheel while he drove down the dark roads. Every so often, he stole glances over at Bella. Even though he hadn't seen her in two years, he could still tell when she was in deep thought. There was a pensive expression in her face. Her eyes seemed to watch the woods as they passed by, no doubt keeping an eye out for the wolves that Jacob insisted were there to protect them. Whether she believed him or not, Jacob wasn't sure. All the while, he inwardly debated whether he had said too much regarding the wolf pack. It was a general understanding that it was to remain secret beyond the elders and imprints. And Bella was not an imprint. Whether or not this...mystical bond or strange connection that they had between them gave him an excuse to tell her about the pack, he wasn't going to. It didn't matter that they had a child together. The truth of the matter was, he simply didn't trust her.

Two years ago, he would have told her everything; that he was one of the Spirit Warriors, about the pack...everything. But after all that time, Jacob wasn't even certain if he really knew Bella anymore. Sure, her telling him about the Cullen's had shocked the hell out of him but Jacob couldn't help but listen to that nagging voice in the back of his head, telling him that he still couldn't trust her. Surprisingly, for some reason he believed her when Bella had spoken about Daniel. Still, he had to see him for himself. Thankfully, he didn't have to ask if he could see Daniel. Along the way to Sue's, Bella offered, hoping that Jacob would want to see his son. By the look on Jacob's face, Bella was pleased to know that he was eager to meet him.

For Jacob, it felt surreal. Even as he pulled up in front of Sue's home and walked alongside Bella up to the front door, his heart was pounding in his chest. When she opened the door, his senses quickly categorized the smells that suddenly flew at him; his father, Sue, as well as Seth. The guy must have returned straight to his house after the vampire threat was over to ensure everyone was fine inside. It was clear that Charlie had been there, despite his cruiser no longer sitting in the driveway. Within all those scents, there was something else - something new, something inviting that pricked the curiosity of the wolf within.

Before Jacob could conclude what he assumed it to be, Sue came to them at the door and smiled. She held a flashlight in her hand and explained that they had gotten a call to say that power would be restored sometime within the next few hours. Jacob listened as Bella apologized profusely as she explained the car accident while omitting certain details that he knew he'd have to fill in later. All the while, he couldn't help but keep his attention on that unique scent in the house. Sue seemed to notice his distraction before she led them further into the house, speaking to Bella about how Daniel had cried for a while before he had finally fallen asleep.

As they rounded the corner, the aroma grew stronger and Jacob instinctively inhaled deeply. On the couch, he saw Seth sprawled out and fast asleep before he glanced over at Billy across the room. Across his father's lap, slept a little boy in a footed sleeper with a blanket draped over his midsection. Jacob simply stared with an expression of disbelief, while Bella made her way to Billy and gently picked up the baby, accidentally stirring him to wake. Daniel protested the movement and cried aloud at being woken, his soother falling from his mouth. But he quickly calmed upon realizing that it was his mother holding him.

While Billy passed Bella the dropped soother, Jacob's eyes instantly noticed Daniel's dark unruly hair and russet complexion.

"Were you giving your grandpa a hard time?" Bella spoke softly before rubbing her hand over Daniel's small back and tucked his soother back into his mouth. Daniel sighed, and rested his head against Bella's shoulder, cuddling his face up against her neck. Her gentle touch and soft words quickly lulled him back to sleep.

Jacob stood still, watching Bella as she swayed slightly with the boy in her arms.

"Daniel was fine," Billy explained, looking up at Bella beside him. "He just wasn't liking the storm. I don't blame him for it though. We haven't had one like that in a while."

He paused and smiled over at Jacob seeing his son's intense focus locked on his grandson in Bella's arms.

"It was pretty intense," Sue added, as she walked up beside Jacob. She smiled at him before looking back at Daniel as he slept in Bella's arms.

"That little boy is so sweet. Charlie enjoyed holding him for a while until he was called into work about an hour ago."

Billy nodded. "We can't get over how much he looks just like you, son."

As he spoke, Bella turned and walked over to Jacob, all the while Daniel slept soundly despite resting upright against Bella's shoulder. Jacob watched him, hearing the baby's even breathing and heart beat flutter in his chest. Although his face was tucked against Bella's neck, Jacob could see the whisps of curled black hair along the base of his head and over his ear.

"He's beautiful," Jacob spoke softly, watching his son as he slept contently against Bella.

Almost timidly, Jacob reached out and placed his large hand over Daniel's back, feeling his small body rise and fall under his palm. When the baby began to cough, Jacob quickly pulled his hand back.

"Daniel's been sick recently," Bella explained as she gently patted the baby's back.

On the couch, Seth suddenly stirred upon hearing Daniel's deep coughing and instantly woke up.

"Wha...what's wrong? What's going on?"

"Don't worry, Seth," Sue quickly replied, alleviating the wolf's obvious concerns for those he was protecting within his home. "Everything's okay."

Seth sat up and looked over to see Jacob standing beside Bella as she held onto Daniel who continued to cough. Sue passed a sippy cup of water to Bella who brought it to Daniel's lips. The boy pulled out his soother and reached for the cup, taking a long drink. It seemed to do the trick. A few seconds passed before he pushed the cup away in favour of his soother and put his head back on Bella's shoulder.

Despite the dimly lit room, Jacob could still see the features on Daniel's face. The first thing he noticed were his thick feather duster eyelashes resting against his light russet cheeks as he closed his eyes once again. His black hair sat haphazardly on his head and his bangs were starting to come over his eyebrows. Jacob even noticed how his one hand was tucked beneath his chin as he rested against Bella's shoulder.

A smile pulled at Jacob's mouth as he watched the little boy suck on his soother, obviously not sleeping as soundly as he appeared.

"Is the little Danny-boy all right?" Seth asked as he suddenly appeared beside Jacob, his deep concern for Daniel's well-being evident in his face.

Bella smiled, running her hand over Daniel's soft hair.

"He's fine. But I'm sure he'll feel better after he gets some decent sleep."

Billy rolled himself forward towards where Bella, Jacob and Seth stood, the two younger men seeming to watch Daniel carefully.

"It is late. It's nearly midnight." He paused and looked to Jacob.

"Since it looks like Charlie may be working through the night, why don't you give Bella and Daniel a ride back into Forks? Seth here can help me get home."

While Bella agreed with the suggestion, Jacob could somehow sense her trepidation with the thought of being alone in Forks while Charlie was working. Truth be told, Jacob couldn't help but feel anxious about it as well. He offered to stay the night or at least until Charlie returned, to which Bella initially refused, feeling not only awkward about putting Jacob in that position given their past relationship but also not wanting him to feel obligated because of Daniel. When he insisted, Bella didn't argue.

Sue gathered up Daniel's belongings and handed Jacob the car seat to put into the truck. It didn't take him long and before long Bella was strapping Daniel into the car seat.

"You'll be okay here on your own?" Jacob asked Sue, grabbing a bag while Bella was settling Daniel in the truck.

She nodded.

"Seth should be back from Billy's anytime and I'm expecting Leah tonight too." Sue paused and glanced over at Bella as she tucked a blanket around Daniel who was beginning to cry with having to sit in his car seat. She lowered her voice. "Seth told me a little about what really happened with Bella. It's true? That vampire attacked her?"

"Yeah," Jacob replied with a sigh. "If Sam happens to call, let him know that I'll be calling him to let him know what's going on once we get to Charlie's."

The ride into Forks was a bit more cramped and noisier than before. Daniel wasn't the least bit impressed at having to sit in his car seat. There was a point where Daniel became so angry that he threw his soother onto the floor of the truck. Bella apologized profusely to Jacob for Daniel's behaviour, while Jacob insisted that it was no big deal.

He rolled down the windows slightly to allow for some fresh air, as it seemed that Daniel was getting sweaty from crying so hard. When a sudden acidic scent blew through the window, his eyes quickly scanned the tree line along the road and he pushed harder on the gas, eager to get both Daniel and Bella safely to Charlie's house. He was on his own and there was no way he was going to stop when he was alone and had Bella and Daniel with him.

The moment they came to a stop at Charlie's, Bella quickly unclipped Daniel from his seat and pulled him into her arms. Meanwhile, Jacob climbed out of the truck, his senses on full alert as he deeply inhaled the air that blew around him while he scanned the darkness for movement.

Nothing.

Inside the truck, he could hear Bella speaking softly to Daniel as the crying settled into light hiccups.

"Hey, hey, you're okay. Momma's here."

Her eyes briefly met Jacob's as she climbed out and before he reached into the pickup to get the car seat. He followed Bella as she carried Daniel to the front door, all the while his eyes carefully kept their attention on the woods around the property.

Power had already been restored to Forks and Bella turned on the porch light the moment she got inside. She waited for Jacob to carry everything into the house before she locked the door behind him.

He followed her into the house, taking careful deep breaths to ensure that there wasn't any scents that shouldn't be there.

Jacob watched as Bella turned on a lamp in the living room before placing Daniel down on the couch. The little boy happily crawled along the couch and snuggled into an old afghan, a drastic difference than how he had been when he had been in the pickup a short few minutes ago.

Needing to grab his blanket from upstairs in his crib, Bella asked Jacob to keep an eye him for a moment while she went to get it. Daniel watched as Bella disappeared up the stairs, leaving him with someone whom he hadn't ever seen before that evening. Daniel's eyes briefly looked over at Jacob before he quickly turned and slid off of the couch. In a matter of seconds, Daniel was crawling across the living room floor towards the stairs, desperate to get to his Mom.

Jacob quickly side stepped and picked Daniel up off the floor before he even got a few feet from the couch. The baby looked at Jacob as he held him before he pushed against his chest.

"Hey Daniel," he said. "Your Mom's coming right back."

Still, Daniel struggled to get out of his grasp.

Thinking quickly, Jacob saw a picture of Bella sitting on a shelf near the television.

"Hey Daniel! Look at this!" Jacob said as excitedly as he could, as he picked up the framed picture. "Who is this?"

Daniel paused as a smile came to his face. His small index finger reached out and touched the image.

"Mammam," he stated.

"Yeah! That's Mommy!"

Wanting to keep him happy for a little while longer, Jacob's eyes scanned the photo's. When he saw another with Bella, he reached to grab it.

"And who is this?"

"Mammama!"

Jacob laughed, hearing his son's excitement in seeing an old picture of Bella. He snorted and shook his head in amazement.

"Seth and Sam were right," Jacob commented softly. "You do look like me when you smile."

Gently, Jacob placed the photo back on the shelf, his hand instinctively running over Daniel's head as he searched the photo's for another image that the little boy in his arms would recognize.

When suddenly, Daniel leaned forward and reached for an old picture of Charlie and Harry Clearwater standing in front of the boat that presently sat in front of Charlie's house.

"Bo!" Daniel exclaimed happily.

"You like boats?"

"He loves them," Bella replied, coming down the stairs and having obviously heard her son's words. She carried a folded up blanket and a pillow in her arms while a light blue blanket was slung over her shoulder. "We lived near a big fishing village and he would spend a good part of his day playing by a window, watching the boats come back and forth."

Upon hearing her voice, Daniel swung around, eager to get back into his Mom's arms. Bella placed the blanket and pillow down on the couch before reaching out to take an eager Daniel from Jacob's arms.

She spoke her thanks softly, meeting his gaze for a moment before she turned her attention back to Daniel.

"Was your Daddy showing you a boat?"

 _Daddy_.

That label didn't go unnoticed by Jacob. He felt his heart leap in his chest at the foreign word. A pride settled there as he watched Bella sit down on Charlie's rocking chair with Daniel on her lap. Suddenly she paused, as her face flushed.

"Uh, I can nurse him upstairs if you're uncomfortable."

"Nurse?"

"Yeah, he's still breastfeeding."

Jacob shook his head, finding himself surprisingly at ease with the thought. If it was anyone else, he would have certainly made for the nearest exit, but deep down he found himself feeling protective of her and that relationship that she had with Daniel.

"No, don't mind me. You can nurse him here. Actually I have a few phone calls to make that I can do in the kitchen so I'm not disturbing you. I should let Sam know that I still have his truck before he freaks out about me not returning it."

Bella smiled and nodded before Jacob left the room. He could hear Bella's soft voice as she spoke to Daniel while he grabbed the phone in the kitchen. The phone rang twice before he heard Sam's gruff voice.

Sam wasn't at all surprised to hear that Jacob was spending the night in Forks at Charlie's. He also didn't feign shock when Jacob explained what Bella had told him regarding the Cullen's.

"You heard it all, didn't you."

" _With the ears in this pack, it's damn near impossible to have a private conversation anymore. But don't be angry with them. They're concerned about you, that's all."_

 _"_ I'm not upset," Jacob said to Sam's surprise. It was more often than not that Jacob would've been angered beyond shifting if he had found out that the pack had been eavesdropping on his conversation. Perhaps Bella's presence back in Jacob's life was having a pleasant affect on him.

" _So, is Bella sticking around?"_

A small smile pulled at Jacob's lips. "Seems like it now. I think I convinced her enough that she's safe with the wolves out there to protect her from this Victoria."

Sam sighed and before he could say anything Jacob spoke again.

"And I didn't say anything that I wasn't allowed to."

 _"I know you didn't, but I've thought about it a little more."_ He chuckled. _"Actually, it was Emily who made me think a little more about it all. I'd be willing to bet that Billy would give the go-ahead to let you tell Bella the truth. Old Quil may be a harder sell, but he knows about this connection you have with her and that may-"_

"-Sam, it doesn't matter. Bella isn't my imprint," he said, lowering his voice so Bella wouldn't be able to overhear. "And frankly, besides being the mother of my child, we don't have a relationship going on where I'd feel even remotely comfortable telling her about me and the pack."

" _You're absolutely righ_ t," Sam stated before silence momentarily passed between them.

"I am concerned about something though. On the way into Forks, there was a strong leech stench near the city limits. I couldn't stop to check it out -"

"- _was there anything at Charlie's?"_

"We wouldn't be here if there was. It wasn't the same as that red-headed bitch. This one was different. I'm wondering if maybe the Cullen's might have followed Bella here."

Sam sighed aloud.

" _After hearing your conversation with Bella about the Cullen's and more particularly Edward Cullen, I sent Colin and Embry to patrol along the old boundary. I haven't heard from them, so I'm guessing it's all clear. But I'll make sure that they go out towards Forks when they come back to give an update in a little while."_

"Thanks Sam."

He hung up the phone before heading back into the living room, finding the chair that Bella had been sitting in was empty. Tipping his head, he heard Bella's heart beating upstairs and the scent of lemongrass along with that unique smell drifting up the steps. Softly, he walked up the stairs and saw Bella's shadow as she gently laid Daniel down in his crib. The little boy shuffled slightly onto his side, getting himself comfortable while Bella covered him with the same blue blanket that she had in the living room. Jacob watched from the doorway of her room, his eyes noticing a familiar dream catcher hanging against the wall above the crib.

Silently, Bella gestured to the hallway and ushered Jacob out of the room before she softly closed the door behind her. They stood in the dimly lit hallway at the top of the stairs.

"Is everything all right?" Jacob whispered.

"Yeah, he was exhausted. He fell asleep on me within a minute. He should sleep all night now."

"Good," Jacob said, his eyes going towards the closed door as his ears listened momentarily to the steady rhythm of the baby's heartbeat coming from the bedroom. He turned back to Bella. "You should get some rest too. You had a busy evening."

Bella nodded, finding that Jacob was right. She took a deep breath as memories of the evening flooded back. Seeing the sudden anxiety flash on her face, Jacob reached out and took her hand.

"You and Daniel are safe here, Bella," he told her softly, keeping his voice low to prevent Daniel from waking in the room beside them.

Forcing a smile on her face, she felt Jacob's warm hand squeeze her own before she nodded. She gestured to the bathroom door behind him at the top of the stairs.

"I'll just quickly go to the bathroom and then I'll go to bed," she said, before pausing. "Are you going to be okay on the couch?"

"Perfectly fine," Jacob told her. With a small smile, he told her goodnight before turning to go back downstairs.

"Jake," she said, catching him halfway down the steps and causing him to turn. "Thank you."

He found a small smile pulling at his lips before he headed down the steps and into the living room.

With a sigh, Bella went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She did look exhausted. The events of the evening had no doubt reflected in her eyes. She only prayed that she would get enough sleep to get her through the day tomorrow. Turning off the light and making her way back into her bedroom, both she and Jacob were unaware of the ears hiding just beyond the tree line behind the house that had overheard their conversation.

* * *

For as far back as Bella could remember, Daniel had always been her alarm clock. Although her idea of waking up at 1am, 3am and then again at 6am for months on end wasn't fun, her only consolation was that she got to spend those sleepless nights with someone who meant the world to her. There were days when she'd put Daniel down to sleep, only to have him wake an hour later. As frustrating as it was and as much as she simply wanted to cry, those toothless grins that Daniel gave her, warmed her heart. Those were nights that she would cherish, as horrible as they were at the time.

To suddenly wake up on her own and when the sun was clearly in the sky was a rarity. It was so unusual that Bella sat straight up in her bed, and her eyes went straight for the empty crib. Confused and slightly concerned, she climbed out of bed and made her way into the hallway. The smell of coffee met her on the stairs before she came into the living room. The couch that Jacob had occupied the night before was empty and the blanket and pillow had been folded neatly on the coffee table. Sunlight streamed in through the open front door while the sound of conversation and Daniel's giggles came through the screen door.

Curious, she pushed open the old wooden door to see her father and Jacob sitting side by side on the porch step. While Charlie was holding onto a half empty coffee mug, Jacob held onto a partially eaten banana. Within the small fishing boat in the driveway, Daniel stood and held a stick over the side, pretending to fish onto the gravel driveway below.

"What's going on?"

Jacob smirked, having heard Bella the moment she had gotten out of bed. Charlie glanced back at his daughter behind them, while Jacob kept an eye on Daniel.

"Mornin' Bells. We were wondering when you were going to get up.

"Why didn't anyone wake me?"

"Well, considering your night last night, Jake and I thought it best if we just let you sleep. I took Danny-boy out of the room when I heard him starting to talk."

"When did you get in?"

"Shortly before 1."

"And Daniel's had breakfast?"

Charlie nodded.

"He's been fed, changed and Jake here got him dressed," Charlie stated, clapping Jacob on the shoulder. "This isn't my first rodeo, Bells. I helped raise you and it's not something that you easily forget."

He paused and looked over at Daniel as the little boy played inside the boat, blowing raspberries to mimic the sound of an engine.

"And he's been having a great time out here."

"Oh, I know. I'm not surprised that you guys took care of him, it's just a strange feeling to suddenly have all this help. I never had it before."

"Well," Jacob said, pushing himself up off the step to stand, "get use to it, Bells."

She watched as he called Daniel's name. The little boy smiled, seeing Jacob as he peeled the banana further and held it up towards his son over the edge of the boat. Daniel simply opened his mouth and took a bite.

Charlie chuckled. "That boy loves his food. I have no idea where he packs it."

He paused and looked up at Jacob. "He must take after you, Jake."

Jacob forced a smile on his face, never having considered how much Daniel would take after him - did he inherit the same gene that had been passed down to him? Would he be forced to carry the burden of being a protector as he had?

When the phone suddenly rang inside, Charlie jumped up, eager to see if it was Gus - the man who was to do a refit on the boat engine. After having earlier discussed with Jacob on the porch about the engine, Charlie had called Gus to arrange for him to pick it up as Jacob willingly offered to redo the engine himself. Charlie was pleasantly surprised by the offer and had a suspicion it had something to do with his daughter's return. While he never voiced his suggestion to Jacob that he try to make amends with Bella, Charlie had hinted towards it.

No one spoke while Charlie had gone inside. Bella simply watched as Jacob interacted with Daniel, allowing the young man to develop a relationship with his son. She found it amusing to see the tall man duck out of sight around the boat, before popping up, startling Daniel to the point of giggles.

Bella smiled, finding herself starting to laugh at her son's joy when Charlie came out on the porch once again.

"Hey Jake, the phone's for you. It's Sam."

With a smile to Daniel, he walked up the steps, passing the partially eaten banana to Bella before disappearing inside.

He walked into the kitchen, seeing the phone sitting on the table beneath it.

" _I need you to meet me at the eastern boundary in ten minutes."_

He heard the gravity within Sam's words.

"What's going on, Sam?"

" _Some of the Cu_ _llen's are back. Jared ran into the doctor and his wife. They wanted to talk with you. They say it's about Bella and Daniel."_

Jacob pinched his eyes shut, feeling the heat of his anger licking up his spine.

"I can't leave them unprotected here."

" _It's already taken care of. Sue's borrowed your Dad's truck and is on her way over with Seth. You'll just have to come up with a reason to take off right away."_

Jacob sighed.

"I'll figure it out. See you in 10."

* * *

It wasn't exactly a lie.

Sam's truck was still at Charlie's and there was no doubt that he'd be needing it sometime soon. Jacob simply implied that he was needing it right away.

He headed towards La Push before veering off towards the east on a dirt road. When he came across an old lane way into the woods, he pulled into it and ensured it wasn't visible from the road before climbing out. He locked up the truck before tucking the keys into his shorts pocket and wrapped it all up within his shirt. Having found a tether cord under the front seat of Sam's truck, he wrapped the bundle to his ankle before taking a deep breath.

This wasn't a meeting he was looking forward to. Just the thought once again caused that insatiable anger to ripple over his spine. Within the matter of seconds, his skin tore and was replaced with a russet coat. His mind was flooded with the thoughts of his brothers, all equally unimpressed with having to come face to face with a Cullen once again.

' _Only Jacob and I are to meet with them,_ ' Sam relayed through the pack. ' _The rest of you are to remain hidden and aren't to approach unless absolutely necessary. They don't need to know how large the pack has become.'_

Jacob met up with the black Alpha wolf, both of their coats disappearing in a shimmer of energy. Neither said a word as they pulled on their shorts. Their thoughts were the same; let's just get this over with. The nauseating stench was already drifting towards them, indicating that the Cullen's had already arrived and were waiting.

Side by side, Sam and Jacob walked towards the small clearing marking the eastern boundary. Within the shadows of a large tree, the pair of vampires stood side by side, watching them as they approached. Esme took ahold of Carlisle's hand, no doubt sensing the hostility coming off of shape shifters in waves.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with us," Carlisle said, smiling pleasantly once Sam and Jacob were standing in front of them.

"It wasn't by choice, believe me," Jacob grumbled. "The only reason I'm here is because this has something to do with Bella and Daniel."

The smile on Carlisle's face faded. "Unfortunately, it does. I'm concerned for their safety."

Jacob growled under his breath, causing Sam to put a hand on his shoulder.

"Their safety isn't your concern," Sam stated. "Daniel is Quileute and both he and Bella are under our protection."

"I understand that," Carlisle explained. "I thought that it would be best if I could explain how Bella and Daniel came to return to Forks. Esme and I weren't aware of Edward and Alice's deception until we came to visit Bella and Daniel last week. We felt compelled to send them back to Forks, knowing that they would be where they belonged and that the wolf pack would protect them more so than Edward ever could."

"Deception? What deception?"

"They told her that a certain vampire named Victoria was alive and determined to kill her."

Jacob snorted.

"That's not too far fetched. We know that bitch quite well."

"Yes well, they convinced Bella that our family was tracking down Victoria for the past two years in order for her to be able to return to Forks."

Sam crossed his arms in front of him.

"And let me guess, that was a lie."

Carlisle nodded.

"After Edward broke up with Bella two and a half years ago and forced us to relocate, I hadn't heard more than a few words from them until one day Alice called me out of the blue to inform me that Bella and Edward had run away together to Nova Scotia. I was surprised to walk into the room to find Bella in labour. It wasn't until Esme and myself came to visit her last week that she asked about how our search for Victoria was going that I realized that something was going on. Esme and I convinced Bella that Victoria was dead in order for her to return to Forks. I knew that her maternal desire to protect Daniel is strong. She wouldn't have come back any other way."

Jacob clenched his fists at his side, feeling the heat lick up his spine once more.

"So, you sent her back, knowing that she could have been killed?!"

"It was a risk, yes," Carlisle admitted. "But I knew that if they made it back here, they would be safe, from Victoria and from Edward."

Carlisle gripped Esme's hand and looked at her before turning back to Jacob.

"Our concern is that Edward will stop at nothing to get to Bella and to take Daniel from her. He isn't the same man anymore. He is determined to take them back. We've been keeping watch, anticipating his arrival. He may already be here, waiting. We want to let you know that if he does show up, we will work with you to do any and everything in our power to keep him from Bella and Daniel."


	16. Chapter 16

_**A/**_ ** _N - So close yet so far... I was waiting to see if anyone would push the reviews over 200, but alas, I'm too impatient to wait. So here's the next chapter. Thank you to all who continuously review! I appreciate your thoughts and kind words!_**

 ** _I suppose it is a miracle that I'm posting this chapter... I was in a car accident this past weekend. Long story short, I was hit in the back end by a semi truck after I had to come to a complete stop on the highway, going 80km/h(in one-lane construction area) following someone who decided to suddenly stop on the road for no reason at all! I have a feeling that person was high on drugs or something because despite me just narrowly missing their bumper, they took off from the scene when it was impossible to not realize that a semi truck had collided with me. So, my car is in the shop for the next month...and I get to drive a loaded 2017 Dodge Caravan. ;) I guess that's the only bright side of this whole thing._**

 ** _Please review for me! :)_**

* * *

An alliance with the two Cullen's wasn't something the wolf pack would have ever expected. The treaty had been temporarily altered, allowing the wolves to come within Forks town limits, but they were unable to cross onto Cullen territory. The whole agreement went against the wolves nature. Vampires were supposed to be their enemies - creatures to be destroyed, not to work alongside in an uneasy accord. While the pack certainly didn't hide their dislike to the arrangement, they all agreed that Edward Cullen had to be stopped and he was as much of a threat as Victoria was. Sam had to admit that he found it difficult to even consider Dr. Cullen's side of the story as truth but after piecing it together with what Bella had told them, it was clear to them that Edward had manipulated her.

With this new information, Sam increased the number of wolves running the patrol rotation near the Cullen's land. No one was happy about that - the vile stench of the Cullen's permeated that area. It took every ounce of inner strength to keep the wolves from giving into their primal urge to hunt down the source of that smell and destroy it. When Dr. Cullen returned a few days later with two more vampires to inform the pack that he had reached out to some family members who were willing to help them Jared couldn't even calm down enough to turn back into human. Emmett smiled and found it entertaining to see the angry wolf pacing anxiously along the border. Next to Emmett, Rosalie crossed her arms before snorting and remarking rudely that she remembered the wolves of the previous generation being bigger.

While Sam wasn't impressed that there were more Cullen's in their area, he was pleased to know that they would have more support. It was clear from Jared's memories that both the blond and the big vampire weren't happy to hear about Edward's manipulation of Bella and his subsequent intentions on taking Daniel from her. Despite their clear dislike for the wolves, they obviously had a soft spot when it came to Bella and her son and were willing to help the pack protect them from Edward as well as Victoria while Bella was outside of La Push.

The desire to protect Bella and Daniel had strangely brought them all together. At the same time and to Sam's surprise, he began to notice the packs opinions of Bella beginning to change. Whereas many of them were still a little indignant for her past association with the Cullen's and in the past had blamed her for Jacob's depression, there was more of an understanding there. They weren't the only ones to feel this way.

Sam noticed that Jacob was more often than not, preoccupied with thoughts of Bella and Daniel. It was a nice change compared to what they had endured for the past two years. Whenever Jacob wasn't on patrol, he tried to spend as much time as he could with Daniel and Bella. Sam could sense a change in Jacob whenever he thought of Bella; that resentment and anger towards her that had been his constant companion was gone. He was aware that Jacob had never apologized for his behaviour due to having to somehow explain to Bella the backstory that included him being a part of the wolf pack, Sam knew that they had come to some sort of understanding. It was clear the moment he heard Jacob laughing as he walked along the beach that evening with Bella at his side while Daniel sat happily up on his shoulders, holding an envolope in his small hand.

Sam watched with a smile on his face as Jacob lowered Daniel to the sand before the little boy dropped the envelope onto the sand before nervously grabbing ahold of Bella's knee just as Embry and Quil approached them.

Daniel was obviously afraid of these tall strangers that suddenly towered around him. When Quil suddenly crouched down to Daniel's level and held out his hand towards him, Daniel pleadingly reached up for Bella to pick him up. It wasn't until he was safely in his Mom's arms that he bravely slapped Quil's hand. The boy became a little more bold when Seth walked up to them, having recognized him. Daniel happily passed him the envelope while Bella wished Seth a happy birthday.

As the others arrived, it was more of the same. Daniel chose to stay close to Bella.

At one point, Paul and Rachel had approached Bella. While no one around them were actively listening to what was going on, Sam could sense a cautious apprehension from the pack on the beach. They weren't the only ones. Jacob glared at Paul warningly just as Bella passed Daniel to him. To all of their surprise, Rachel began to apologize for her behaviour from earlier in the week before she reached out and pulled a reluctant Paul forward. Sam smiled, hearing Paul's soft voice admitting to Bella that he had been an asshole. While he couldn't promise that he wouldn't behave like a jerk again, Paul assured her that he'd beat Edward Cullen into a pile of shit if he ever touched her or Daniel. Coming from Paul, this was big. It was the closest thing Sam had ever heard to an apology that Paul had ever given to anyone besides Rachel.

Based on the small smile that appeared on Bella's lips, it was apparent that everything was all right. It wasn't long before Rachel was talking with Bella, laughing together at the young men goofing off beside them with Daniel. Paul was making silly faces and covering his eyes at the baby while Jacob held onto him. Sam chuckled, watching as Jacob tickled Daniel's stomach causing the little boy to start giggling. To their surprise when Paul tentatively held out his hands towards Daniel, the little boy reached forward and climbed into his arms, surprising Paul. He was even more surprised when Daniel put his small hands onto Paul's cheeks, forcing his face to constrict into the goofy faces he was making at him.

Rachel seemed eager to hold Daniel and took him from Paul, holding out a bright green sand shovel towards the little boy. With a few words, she turned away from Jacob and Bella while Paul followed beside her.

Sam sighed as a hand slipped into his own.

"Eavesdropping again?"

He turned to Emily as she looked up beside him. He shook his head.

"Just happy to see everything is as it should be. Even though we're still under a constant threat, the pack as a whole is happy. It's been a long time coming."

Emily smiled, looking out to where Daniel was now walking along the sand, a shovel in hand as he held onto Rachel's hand to keep him steady. Her eyes went back to Bella and Jacob as they walked out towards the rough surf before she pulled at Sam's hand.

"Don't you dare listen to their conversation, Sam Uley," she warned.

He snorted and smirked.

"I couldn't if I tried. I think Jacob is purposely bringing Bella towards the waves to mask their conversation."

"Then leave them be. They haven't had a decent conversation alone yet. If they're going to get back together, it wont happen if they're constantly surrounded by the pack or busy with Daniel."

"What makes you think they're going to get back together?"

Emily shrugged and looked out to where Bella and Jacob walked along the sand, a good space between them. The wind blew hard up from the ocean, blowing Bella's hair over her shoulders. She carried her sandals in her hand as she walked barefoot.

"I've seen how he looks at her. He'll deny that there isn't anything there anymore but there is. If it's that bond they have or if it's just by Jacob's own feelings, it's there. They just need some time."

* * *

Bella sighed and closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. It had been so long since she had seen the Pacific Ocean once again. That early evening scent was starting to wash ashore. It felt and smelled like home. There was a familiarity and sense of comfort being back in La Push. The roar of the waves crashing against the rocks before the water eventually lapped at the beach was soothing. Whether it was the water or knowing that there were mystical wolves roaming the woods around the reservation that caused her to feel just a little more relaxed, Bella welcomed the feeling. She felt safe again.

Her bare feet dug into the sand as she stood beside Jacob. Bella glanced at him, noticing that his eyes were back on the group of Quileute's gathering around a pile of fire wood that was quickly getting larger. Her eyes scanned the group before finding Daniel sitting in the sand with that green shovel beside a little girl. Embry knelt across from him, his arms pulling the sand away from them to make a deep hole.

"Daniel is having a great time. It didn't take long for him to warm up to everyone," Bella commented, chuckling as she saw her son throw a shovel full of sand over his shoulder onto Jared's lap behind him. "He'll sleep well tonight."

Jacob smiled before meeting Bella's eyes as they had locked on him.

"He's a great boy. You've done a great job raising him."

She shrugged.

"I'd like to say that it was easy but you wouldn't believe how stubborn he can be for a one year old."

Jacob winced. "Oh, I've already seen that side of him. My Dad says Daniel reminds him of me at that age."

"Then, I suppose we're in trouble when he becomes a teenager."

Jacob could hear the teasing tone in Bella's voice and he smiled as he looked out at the ocean in front of them. Hearing her speak of the future caused something to stir within him. It was hope. Something he hadn't felt in a long time. Since Bella's return, a fear had been lodged deep within him that perhaps one day, Bella would still leave again. Jacob knew that his feelings for Bella were returning despite his denial that he didn't feel the same way as he had before she left 2 years ago. While he was determined not to let her go again, that would also mean admitting that he was falling in love with her again and he wasn't sure if he was ready to admit that.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right."

Bella turned to him, concerned over his lack of emotion in his voice.

"Jake, are you okay?"

He smiled weakly. "I'm fine, Bella."

His words had a resolute tone to them, concluding that he wasn't wanting her to pry any further. A few seconds passed before Bella sighed and turned.

"Well, I should head back and make sure Daniel's not causing any trouble."

She had only taken two steps when Jacob quickly reached out.

"Wait."

He gently grabbed ahold of her wrist, instantly causing her to stop. Bella gasped, a tingling sensation racing up her arm from Jacob's warm touch on her skin. It lasted for just a beat before it was gone. She looked up at Jacob, finding his eyes locked on hers before his hand slid over her skin to her hand.

"I wanted to talk to you first about something without the others around."

Jacob had gone over this a hundred times; how he would explain to Bella what he had learned from the Cullen's and the information that he felt she should know - that the Cullen's were here in Forks and would do what they can to keep Victoria and Edward away from her and Daniel. It had turned into an entire script that he had gone over with Quil and Embry for the past few days. Quil chastised and urged his friend to tell Bella the truth about himself and how he had come to find out what the information. Knowing that one day it would come to that, Jacob opted to just to tell her about what he had found out from the Cullen's.

Nodding, Bella turned to him.

"I drove to the Cullen's house yesterday."

He watched as Bella's eyes widened.

"You...you went to the Cullen's house? Were they back?"

A smirk appeared on Jacob's face, seeing the shock in Bella's eyes.

Jacob nodded. "Don't worry, Bells. The bloodsuckers didn't bite me. My blood must not have been sweet enough."

"That's not funny, Jake."

Jacob chuckled despite her warning.

"Come on, Bells. Remember that treaty that I told you about a long time ago between our people and the Cullen's? If they had killed me, the wolves in the woods would have the liberty to rip them apart."

Bella was not impressed with the smile on his face as he talked about himself being killed.

"You can't joke about something like that, Jake. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. Even though the Cullen's aren't dangerous, there are some out there that wont care about that treaty and would kill you without a second thought."

Jacob nodded solemnly, his mind going to the red headed vampire that was hellbent on killing Bella. "I know. The Cullen's were surprisingly friendly for disgusting bloodsuckers. They even asked about you and if you were safe from that red-headed vampire you were telling me about. They seemed genuinely concerned."

Knowing that there was no use arguing, Bella sighed.

"And what did you tell them?"

"Nothing. It's none of their business. I only went there to threaten Edward Cullen, but unfortunately he wasn't there."

Bella rolled her eyes. "Jake, that's not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"He could hurt you."

"You just told me that the Cullen's weren't dangerous."

Bella scoffed and crossed her arms.

"Who was there?"

"The doctor and his wife and this blond woman and this big guy."

"Rosalie and Emmett," Bella breathed out their names.

"What?"

"The blond and the big one, that's Rosalie and Emmett. Did they...happen to mention anything about Edward? Where he was or if he was coming back?"

Jacob snorted and shook his head. "They haven't heard from him. But they are worried that he's going to come for you and Daniel. I'm not going to let that happen and if he steps one foot on the reservation, the wolves will get him."

"But while I'm at my house in Forks...?"

"The Cullen's have agreed to keep an eye on your house now that they're here. I don't like it though."

A smile pulled at Bella's mouth and she squeezed Jacob's hand.

"I trust the Cullen's-"

"-like you trusted Edward?" Jacob sighed. "Unfortunately, outside of La Push, they may be your only protection."

"What about those wolves?"

"With the Cullen's being back, they have to stay on the reservation."

Bella looked down at the sand beneath her feet.

"Jake, I still don't think you should have gone to the Cullen's to threaten Edward. Edward may know that he's not allowed to kill you, but he knows how I felt..." she paused and cleared her throat, "how I feel about you and I'd be afraid of what he could have done to you."

A smile pulled at Jacob's lips as he looked at his hand holding Bella's. His thumb gently rubbed against the skin of her hand.

"I still care about you, Bella. That's why I did it." He paused for a moment, hearing Bella's heart sudden speed up. "Besides, I had waited two years to punch the bastard in the face. I figured that was long enough."

Bella looked up at Jacob and smiled before a light chuckle broke from her lips.

Letting go of his hand, she walked up to the water and stepped into the small waves as they came up onto the shore. Only a few seconds had passed before she heard Daniel's familiar giggling coming up from the beach behind her. Bella turned to see Daniel being carried in the air by Embry as he ran over the sand towards Jacob. The little boy's unruly hair blew in the wind, his smile the widest Bella had ever seen. It only mirrored the one that Daniel was suddenly passed to.

"There's Daddy!" Embry exclaimed delivering Daniel into Jacob's hands.

Daniel put out his hands, instantly wanting Jacob to fly him over the beach as Embry had been doing, but the moment he saw Bella standing in the water, he wiggled out of Jacob's grasp. He placed him on the sand, taking the little boy's hand to keep him balance as they made their way into the cold water. Daniel instantly stopped upon feeling the chilly water touch his toes. The sound of the surf and the rush of the waves out in the ocean was suddenly too much. He turned to Jacob, instantly wanting to be picked up. Jacob's wolf could sense the fear coming off of Daniel as he clutched ahold of his neck.

Wanting to make it a pleasant experience for his son, Jacob smirked and whispered to Daniel as they set their sights on Embry who was standing in the water a few feet away, looking out at the horizon. Turning, Jacob quickly kicked the water, splashing Embry.

"What the hell, Black!?"

Jacob laughed, quickly reminding him that he was holding a baby and he'd hurt him if he retaliated. Embry's expression of shock and anger quickly melted upon seeing Daniel's smile. He looked past the pair to where Bella was standing. With a smirk, she approached and kicked up the water, instantly hitting Jacob in his back, drenching his shorts.

Jacob gasped, feeling the cold water hit his back.

"Remember Jake, you're holding a baby," Embry cackled, before running off.

"Uh oh, Daniel," Jacob taunted, holding the boy close to him. "I think Mommy is going to get wet."

Daniel smiled, wiggling to get out Jacob's arms. The moment Jacob had placed him down in the water, Daniel turned to hold his hands. With his foot, he kicked out causing a small splash. Bella feigned being afraid causing Daniel to burst into a fit of giggles. Taking his hands, Jacob picked him up, wrapping his arm around Daniel's small waist and rushed forward, kicking his own splash of water at Bella.

She gasped, suddenly loosing her balance before falling back into the water.

"Oh shit," Jacob mumbled under his breath.

Quickly he placed Daniel on the sand, far from the water before rushing back to help Bella to her feet.

"Bells, I'm so sorry."

She laughed, shaking her head as she pushed herself up to stand. "No, it was my own feet that I tripped over."

Her lips were already blue and with the cool evening wind blowing over the beach, she was quickly getting cold. Jacob put his arm around her shoulder and walked beside her out from the water.

Embry hadn't had gone far and was holding onto Daniel, who watched with concern over what had just happened to his Mom.

"You're going to freeze now," Jacob stated, rubbing his hands over her upper arms in an attempt to help her warm up.

"We've got that bon fire started up on the beach," Embry mentioned, walking up to them with Daniel in his arms. Knowing he had a clean blanket in the car, Jacob ran off to the parking lot, leaving Embry to carry Daniel back to the blankets for Bella so not to get him wet.

In the time that they had been away from the group, Charlie, Sue and Billy had arrived. While there were certainly the jokes about how Bella managed to get wet, she simply laughed at her own expense. Upon seeing Billy, Daniel quickly crawled over the sand towards him, remembering the fun he had when his grandfather would come over allowing him to sit on his lap as they rolled around in the wheelchair.

Bella stood in front of the fire, her body still shivering from being wet and cold. Emily searched through her bag for a dry shirt or bottoms that Bella could wear, but unfortunately with her pregnancy, nothing would fit her. Upon Rachel's suggestion, Bella took off her long sleeve button down shirt, keeping a blue tank top on underneath.

"You'd think these boys would know better," Rachel commented, glaring at Embry as he stood by the fire to dry himself off. He rolled his eyes.

"I might have instigated thi..." Embry began to say before his eyes looked over at Bella. His words were lost to him upon seeing an unusual mark just below Bella's collar bone that his wolf instantly recognized.

"At lease you and Jake had the decency to not put Daniel in the middle of it," she said, rubbing her arms with her hands. "I would have flipped my shit if I knew you guys had gotten him wet."

Without saying a word, Embry nudged Quil in the side as the guy walked past before whispering to him. Quil glanced over at Bella, his eyes widening before a smile came to his face. He shook his head in amazement before he sat down beside Paul where he sat on a log before whispering in his ear. In the matter of a minute, the entire pack had come to see the mark that Jacob had left on Bella was still visible even two years later. Jacob was completely oblivious to their interest on what they had seen on Bella as he came up behind her with a large fleece blanket.

"Here, this might help."

She recognized it as one that she had seen sitting in the backseat of the VW Rabbit beside where Daniel sat in his car seat while on their way to the beach.

Her mind suddenly brought back the memory of the last time she had been in Jacob's VW, when they had unknowingly conceived Daniel. It felt surreal to have come full circle, the product of that night sitting in the backseat chatting away happily while they had driven to the beach as Daniel held onto the card that had been made for Seth's birthday.

Jacob wrapped the blanket over Bella's shoulder, carefully sweeping her hair out from under it. His fingers lingered slightly when they had touched her neck. Bella felt it; a flush of warmth suddenly washing over her, warming her to her very core in ways that the fire in front of her would never be able to do.

It wasn't until Jacob stood up to get some food for Daniel that Paul walked up to him and winked.

"Nice to have some visual proof of that bond you and Bella have going on."

The confusion on Jacob's face was obvious. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you see it? It that's bite mark that started your Quileute voodoo bond with Bella," Paul stated, glancing over at Bella as she sat in front of the fire, the blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

There, just barely hidden from view from the blanket, Jacob saw the small blemish that looked nothing more than a birthmark. But for the wolf within, he instantly recognized it for what it really was and Jacob knew that if his wolf knew what it was, the rest of the pack clearly was aware of it. His eyes widened.

"It's still there," he breathed.

After two years, Jacob would have guessed that it would have healed up and if anything, it would have left a pale scar.

Jacob could still remember the moment it had happened, the same moment that unbeknownst to them at the time, they had created a new life - Daniel. The wolf had that strong desire to lick the blood from the wound he had created and Jacob could still recall the taste in his mouth; a strange, yet fulfilling sensation. He couldn't help but suddenly remember the thought that had raced through his mind at that same moment.

' _Mine.'_

"Jake, you okay?" Jared asked, having come up to him and Paul. "You're looking a bit pale."

"I'm fine," he mumbled.

Somewhere deep down he knew that the chances of breaking the bond he had with her was unlikely. Strangely enough, he was starting to wonder if that was really a bad thing.

* * *

As the evening progressed, Daniel had found his way to Bella's lap and had curled himself under the blanket with her. In no time, he had fallen asleep between her legs, the sound of soft conversation, the crackling fire and distant waves lulling him to sleep. Charlie, Sue and Billy had gone home, leaving the pack behind around the smouldering bon fire.

"Your Dad had mentioned to me about he and Billy wanting to go fishing next weekend," Jacob said softly, leaning over towards Bella beside him. "It sounded like he was asking if they could take Daniel along with them for the day."

"He didn't mention anything about it to me."

Jacob nodded.

"I thought it was strange cause he was techincially asking me if it would be okay if he could take Daniel."

A smile came onto Bella's face.

"Well, you are his father. You could have made the decision if you wanted to."

Jacob smirked. "I suppose so. But regardless I wanted to make sure that you were okay with it."

Bella shrugged. "Sure. I'm all right with it if you are."

Jacob stretched his legs out in front of him towards the fire before glancing down at Daniel sleeping in front of Bella.

"I...I think your Dad was hinting about it giving us the chance to get out together."

"Together?"

"Yeah, I though it was a good idea. If you're wanting, we could do something. It doesn't have to be much. We could go out for dinner somewhere or see a movie, if you'd like."

A smile pulled at Bella's lips.

"You mean, like a date?"

"I...uh..." Jacob hesitated, and studdered slightly while Quil chuckled softly beside him. "It doesn't have to be a date. It could be a night where two parents who have a child together go out...together...alone."

"Like a date."

Jacob shrugged, his face starting to flush.

"I suppose."

Quil leaned forward, unable to hold it in any longer. He had to say something.

"Dude, just ask her out if you want to ask her out! If you need help-"

"-I don't!" Jacob snapped, glaring at Quil beside him.

Quil held up his hands in mock surrender and leaned back, the smile still remained on his face.

"My offer still stands. Hell, I helped Embry ask Leah out and look..."

Swiftly, Jacob elbowed Quil in the ribs. While Quil gasped for a breath, Embry and Leah glared dangerously at him. Their relationship was still a secret within the pack and Jacob had assured Leah he would help them keep it that way. The last thing she wanted was for Sam to find out. It was obvious that despite their past relationship, Sam was still protective of Leah to the point that it drove her crazy. She didn't need her growing relationship with Embry to suddenly be under Sam's microscope.

Knowing this, Jacob quickly glanced over at Sam behind them, expecting that he had overheard the remark, but as it looked, he was safely distracted by Emily.

He turned back to Quil, and leaned in to his ear.

"You really need to learn to shut up."

"I'll shut up, if you grow some balls and ask Bella out like a man," he whispered back.

Jacob leaned away from him and sighed, before he found Bella's hand reaching out to take his.

"You don't have to ask me," she told him softly. "I would've said yes before you said anything."

Jacob looked at her, and smiled, finding how immensely happy he felt with that assurance that Bella had given him. That feeling didn't leave him, even during the entire ride back to Forks. Neither he or Bella said much during their quiet ride back to her house. Behind them, Daniel slept soundly in his car seat and Jacob couldn't help but notice how natural this felt to him. Jacob's eyes would often drift up to the rear view mirror to catch a glimpse of his son sleeping, his head tilted to the side in relaxation. When they arrived back at Bella's house, Jacob helped her carry her things into the house. He offered to carry Daniel inside and made his way quietly past Charlie, who was watching television. The Sheriff smiled at Jacob as the young man walked up the steps with Daniel resting peacefully against his shoulder.

Coming into Bella's room, Jacob's eyes keenly scaned the darkness as he inhaled, instinctively searching for anything that could be a danger to his son. Finding nothing, Jacob gently placed him down in his crib, relieved that Bella had gotten Daniel changed before they had left the beach so that he could go right to sleep when he had gotten home. Jacob grabbed the blue blanket that had become a staple during Daniel's naps and covered up the little boy who had yet to move. Jacob gently placed his hand over Daniel's chest, feeling his heart fluttering beneath his palm before his eyes glanced up at the dream catcher sitting against the wall. A smile pulled at his lips allowing his fingers to brush the bangs away from Daniel's eyes before he walked out of the room, closing Bella's bedroom door behind him.

Once again, Charlie said nothing but he merely smirked at Jacob as the young man met Bella in the kitchen.

"Well, I'm going to head back out."

Bella nodded, insisting that she'd walk him out.

"So, Embry and Leah, huh?"

Jacob chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as he turned to face her on the front porch. He watched as Bella wrapped her arms around herself to keep her warm in the night air.

"Yeah. They're keeping it to themselves for the time being. It makes it easier for them."

Bella nodded in understanding.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you ask me out?"

Jacob was taken aback slightly by the question. He smiled before answering.

"I supposed because I wanted to. We've never gone out before, just you and me. And I'm not counting all those times we grabbed pizza after working in the shed on those bikes all those years ago."

Bella smiled ruefully.

"It's just that when I came back home, you seemed to not want anything to do with me. And I get that - you were upset and hurt. Then, you met Daniel and things began to change. You suddenly became like the old Jacob that I always knew. I hate to think it, but I don't want you to feel like you have to try to find your old feelings for me again just because we have a child together. We can just be friends, if that's what you're wanting.

"I love you Jake. I never stopped loving you but honestly, I'd be happy just knowing that you're my friend instead of starting something with you that possibly ends with us in a place where we no longer speak to each other. I couldn't live my life without you being in it."

Jacob took a deep breath and looked up a the dark sky above them before looking back at Bella.

"You are right. I was angry and upset. It felt like that knife that had been shoved into my chest suddenly twisted a little and dug a little deeper."

He paused and sighed.

"And at the time, as much as I hated to admit it, I still felt something for you. And it has nothing to do with Daniel. My feelings would have been the same. But I think seeing you with Daniel and watching how you interact with him, it made me realize that I am falling back in love with you."

Again, he paused as a smile came to his face. He took a step closer to Bella, finding her hand was reaching out to his which he instantly took, warming it within his palm.

"I guess that's really why I asked you out."

Bella nodded, a smile on her face. "Sounds like a good enough reason for me."

Jacob looked down at Bella in front of him, the scent of lemongrass swimming around them on the porch. He could hear her heart beating swiftly in her chest, and when he saw her tongue gently wet her lips, Jacob all but forced his eyes away from her mouth. He couldn't help but lean forward, being drawn in to her while his other hand brushed against Bella's cheek. When a sudden strong and bitter acidic smell overpowered the lemongrass in front of him, Jacob paused and clenched his teeth before smiling at Bella, her lips just inches from his own.

He cleared his throat and sighed.

"I really should get back. My Dad's going to need some help before bed."

Bella swallowed thickly, confused over Jacob's sudden change in mood. She could have sworn he was going to kiss her. She had dreamed of this for as long as she could remember and Bella couldn't help but feel disappointed and frustrated all at once. As much as she wanted to believe him, Bella couldn't help but think that Jacob was making an excuse for some reason.

"Of course, you should go."

Still, Jacob brushed his thumb over Bella's hand, feeling extremely protective considering that vampiric smell was so close. The wolf beneath was bristling, eagerly wanting to chase it down to destroy it for coming so close to Bella and his son.

"I wish I could come over tomorrow. I'm hoping to work on Sue's car for a good part of the day. If I get done early, I'll come by. I have a surprise that I've been meaning to bring by all week. And then maybe we can talk about what were going to do this weekend."

"I'd like that," Bella said as Jacob turned and made his way towards the Rabbit in the driveway. He looked back at her before opening the door to climb in. "Good night, Bella."

"Night Jake."

Jacob waited until Bella had disappeared into the house before pulling out of her driveway. His eyes darkened while his hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he quickly sped away from the house. Jarring the car to the left, he made a turn towards a nearby wooded park that he knew had enough cover for him. He jumped out of the car and raced into the woods. The scent was still strong and he barely had the chance to pull off his clothing before the heat of white hot anger licked up his spine. The wolf burst out from his body and inhaled, before quickly giving into the chase.

' _Jake_!' Jared exclaimed, having sensed his brother's consciousness suddenly join his own and recognizing where he was. ' _Are you sure it's not one of the Cullen's?'_

Jacob suddenly came to a halt when he saw the bronze haired vampire that he had envisioned killing for years. With a smirk, Edward turned and ran. With a snarl, Jacob began to race after him.

' _He's here!'_


	17. Chapter 17

A howl pierced the darkness over La Push, alerting the pack that their enemy was nearby. Jacob heard Jared's call, and kept in pursuit of Edward Cullen. The vampire darted through the trees, turning left and right as he led him through the dense forest. Despite all the erratic twists and turns, Jacob's sense of direction knew exactly where Edward was trying to head. He could smell it.

 _'He's heading back to Cullen land,_ ' Jacob growled, feeling Embry, Paul and Sam's consciousness join with him and Jared.

' _He won't get back in one piece!_ ' Sam declared. The pack agreed with him and pushed themselves to move swiftly through the woods, in an effort to block Edward's path.

Ahead and to his right, Jacob could see Sam and Embry moving quickly towards them and Paul and Jared were approaching from the left. Just as they were about to intercept, Edward leapt into the air, jumping clear over the four wolves and landed gracefully ahead of the pack. They were all about to chase him once again when they suddenly realized he had safely landed on Cullen land - a place they could not go. While the pack of wolves bristled and paced angrily along the borders edge, Edward patted the dust off of his pants before smirking back at them. His eyes fell on the russet coloured wolf that snarled at him with his heckles raised.

"I never did get the chance to thank you for looking after Bella when I had left all those years ago," Edward said, looking directly at Jacob. "Mind you, I would've preferred if you had kept your dirty hands off of her...but because of that...event, you gave me a son that I would never have been able to have otherwise."

' _Daniel_ _is not your son,_ ' Jacob hissed loudly in his head.

Edward scoffed and smirked, clearly hearing Jacob's thoughts as they were screamed at him in his head.

"Oh, but he is. Guess who held him after he was born? And whose arms he went to when he first learned to walk? I'm the one who stayed with him all night when Bella was exhausted from taking care of him all day. If there was a choice between you and I, he'd go to me if he was afraid or hurt. Daniel is my son and I will fight for him and for Bella."

While the pack was still trying to figure out how Edward was capable of responding to Jacob's thoughts when they hadn't been voiced aloud, two figures suddenly appeared behind the vampire. Edward didn't turn; he knew who it was.

"Edward, I think you should just go and leave Bella and her son alone to live their human lives," Emmett told him. "She doesn't love you like you want her to. You can't force that on someone."

Edward snorted and turned before walking towards them. "So, Carlisle called you two home. Why am I not surprised!?"

"He told us everything. He was hoping that we could talk some sense into you before you get yourself killed," Rosalie snapped bitterly as she crossed her arms.

"Those dumb animals can't kill me when I'm on this side of the border."

"And what if I suddenly decide to toss you across onto their land to let those...dumb animals have their way with you? Hmm? What then?"

Despite the insult, the wolves snarled loudly in satisfaction at Rosalie's suggestion. It was clear to them that this blond Cullen was more than displeased by Edward's actions towards Bella. Nothing would please them more than to have the opportunity to rip apart a bloodsucker. Edward had to wince at the sudden onslaught of comments and images flooding his head from the wolves behind him.

Knowing that the pack had heard his wife and were in full agreement with her, a small smile appeared on Emmett's face as he glanced at the wolves pacing eagerly at the border. As upset and confused as he and Rosalie had been when Carlisle had told them what Edward and Alice had done to Bella, once they had learned about her son, an anger had risen within Rosalie. Despite her hard exterior, the woman had a soft spot when it came to children and babies. Knowing that Edward had determined to keep the child as his own when it was clear that Bella wasn't wanting him angered her beyond anything Emmett had ever seen. He wouldn't put it past her not to throw Edward to the wolves then and there. Still, he was their brother and they assured Carlisle that they'd try to reason with him before giving him an ultimatum. Gently, Emmett placed his hand on Rosalie's shoulder.

"What we're saying is that you should just drop this whole damn thing," Emmett said to him, sincerity clearly in his eyes. "Carlisle said that Bella's kid is the biological son of one of those...wolves and that Bella told him that she loves his father. She's obviously happy. Why can't you just leave them be?"

Edward's eyes widened in shock.

"Leave them be? Are you crazy? I can't just 'leave them be'. Bella and Daniel are not safe! And I'm not talking about Victoria."

Edward pointed angrily towards the pack.

"Those dogs over there have no restraint on their anger." He turned and narrowed his eyes at them, pausing particularly long at Jacob before looking back at Rosalie and Emmett beside him.

"One wrong move and he could slash Bella's throat before she even knew what was happening. I don't even dare to think about what could happen to Daniel." He paused and glanced over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at Jacob. "She doesn't even know that Daniel's father is one of those beasts. She has no idea how much danger she is in."

"Knowing that she was in danger certainly didn't deter Bella from hanging around you, now did it," Rosalie stated harshly. "How is this any different?"

"I would never harm her," Edward spoke darkly. "But now you know why it is so important that she stay away from those wolves."

"It's not your job to protect Bella," Emmett stated. "Honestly man, you gave that up the moment you left her in the woods two years ago."

"You know that I left her that day so that she could live a human life. It was the hardest thing I ever did," Edward sneered, before glaring over at Jacob in the darkness. "But I didn't leave her just to have her virtue taken from her by some dog."

"Irregardless, that was her decision to make."

"A dangerous one that I vow not to let happen again."

Edward sighed and lowered his voice as he looked earnestly at the pair in front of him.

"Please, I need your help. I have a plan. Once Bella is safely away from La Push, I have no doubt that her feelings for me will return. I'm certain if we work together, we can somehow get Bella and Daniel-"

"No."

Rosalie crossed her arms in front of her. Her interruption and declaration that she clearly opposed his intentions to help him surprised Edward.

"No?"

"That's what I said. I'm not going to stand by and let you manipulate Bella again."

Based on Emmett's expression as he stood stoically behind his wife, he agreed with her.

Edward snorted.

"You're serious. You'd further side with those mongrels, the very creatures that would kill you without a second thought rather than with me? Your brother?"

Emmett nodded.

"Man, you know we hate to admit it, but...yeah, we do. What you're wanting to do, it's wrong. And we're not going to sit by and let you take a child from its father, regardless of who it is."

"But you are right, Edward, you are our brother," Rosalie said solemnly. "That's why it hurts to tell you this, but as long as you're hell-bent on this stupid idea that you can somehow make Bella love you again by kidnaping her, you're not welcome here."

Edward scoffed. "You can't do that."

"But I can," Carlisle suddenly spoke, coming up from behind him. "As the original spokesman for our negotiations with the Quileute's, I can make an amendment to that agreement that I'm certain the wolf pack wouldn't hesitate to support."

It didn't take long for Edward to read Carlisle's mind to realize what he was implying.

"You'd banish me?"

"If that is what it takes to make you drop this whole matter."

Edward glanced over his shoulder at the wolves, still watching and overhearing the conversation with vested interest.

"You've already been conversing with the enemy, Carlisle."

"We knew you'd return sometime. We were ready, on both sides of the border."

Edward clenched his fists, as his anger and frustration rose.

"I'm sorry, Edward," Carlisle added. "I really hoped it wouldn't come to this."

"You can't be everywhere at once. You'll regret this," he growled, glaring at his family before sneering over at the wolf pack. In a flash, he raced off. While it appeared that Emmett was about to chase after him, Carlisle's hand on his shoulder caused him to pause.

"Let him go. Hopefully he comes to his senses and comes to realize that it's time to let Bella go."

With a sigh, Carlisle glanced over at the wolf pack as they stood on their side of the treaty line. He didn't say anything but gave a brief nod towards Sam before the pack turned to head back into the woods.

"Carlisle, you know Edward," Rosalie said. "He's always been obsessive about the things he cares about. He's not going to drop this anytime soon."

Carlisle hated to admit that Rosalie was right.

* * *

Jacob had become busier at the shop than he had originally implied. A few days had passed before he finally showed up at the Swan's door, looking exhausted from working through the day at his small business and sharing patrol rotations with the pack at night. Although he did have the assistance of Quil and Embry at the shop, they too, were burning the candle at both ends. When Jacob did show up one evening between his shifts to see Daniel and Bella, it was only briefly with a surprise he had been intending to bring over to Bella for over a week.

Taking her hands and insisting that she keep her eyes shut, Jacob led Bella down the wooden porch steps and into the driveway. Of everything she had imagined, Bella wasn't expecting to see her old red truck. As happy as she was to see it, it unfortunately invoked many memories that weren't as pleasant. Sensing her apprehension, Jacob opened the front door and insist that she get inside before he quickly darted to the passenger seat. The first thing Bella noticed was how the entire dash had been redone. The hole where she had pulled out the stereo system that Emmett had gotten for her for that fateful birthday was long gone and a simple CD player and radio combo fit between the odometer and the glove box.

The seats weren't the same either. The bench was a dark blue colour that Jacob explained he had found at an auto wreckers a year ago when he had been planning on detailing the entire truck. He sheepishly went on to explain that he was intending to paint the truck in a further attempt to make it look like a completely different vehicle, but couldn't bring himself to do it. As silly as it sounded to him at the time, it was his only connection that he felt he had to Bella. Only recently had he finally installed them, knowing that she and Daniel would be needing something to get around since he'd have the VW Rabbit.

"I can still get it arranged to get painted."

"No, no! It's fine like this. It looks exactly how it was when my Dad bought it off of Billy all those years ago."

"Except for the seats and the dash," Jacob corrected, while Bella shrugged.

"That's not a big deal. That was a needed improvement." She ran her hands over the steering wheel before glaring playfully at him. "Don't you dare paint it."

Jacob chuckled and held up his hands in mock surrender before he reached into his pocket.

"So...you wanna take her for a quick test drive around the block? See if she still feels the same?"

"I can't. Dad's not home right now and Daniel's in bed upstairs. He needs all the rest he can get right now. He was coughing a lot last night and it was keeping the both of us up. I really hope his pneumonia isn't coming back."

Jacob's smile fell as his eyes glanced up at Bella's bedroom window. His ears listened carefully, not picking up anything either than Daniel's deep breathing. It didn't sound unusual to him.

"Maybe it's just the cough still hanging on."

"I hope so."

Jacob nodded in understanding.

"A rain check then?"

"Of course. We could all take the truck on a road trip somewhere."

Jacob winced. "I don't know if I'd trust it out of the county. Cosmetically, she may look great, but I haven't done more than an oil change and ensure that she passed the safety to be on the road."

"But it's okay for around town here or back and forth to La Push?"

"Oh yeah, but keep a cell phone with you just in case anything happens."

Heeding that warning, Bella climbed into it the next morning with Daniel in his car seat beside her, the little boy eager to get out of the house. Despite the cloudy day that looked like it was going to rain at any moment, Bella brought him to a park and took along a ball, allowing Daniel to run around and play. All the while, Bella's eyes were on the wooded area surrounding the park, looking for any sign of bright red hair within the forest. No matter how many times Jacob could assure her that she was safe in Forks, she couldn't help but worry. As much as she was happy to be able to get out into the fresh air with Daniel, her mind would constantly be on the possibility that Victoria was watching them.

As she sat on the grass, watching Daniel squeal loudly while kicking the ball at a seagull, she heard a deep chuckle come from behind her. Bella felt her heart clench in her chest.

"Never in a million years could I have ever imagined you as a Mom," Emmett said, causing Bella to quickly glance up behind her. A smile appeared on her face as she stood to her feet. "But, it suits you."

"Emmett," Bella breathed, relief in her voice. "I heard you were in town. It's good to see you."

He reached forward and hesitated, silently asking for a hug. With a smile, Bella nodded and was suddenly engulfed by the muscular vampire's arms.

"Don't squeeze her too tightly now," Rosalie's teasing voice floated from behind him. "She's human, remember?"

Emmett smiled apologetically and released his hold on Bella.

"And I'm glad to see that you chose to remain human too."

Bella nodded, looking over at Daniel to ensure he hadn't wondered off on his own.

"I guess you can say that I finally realized the things I would have missed out on. As crazy as it is some days, I love being a Mom."

Rosalie smiled warmly, despite feeling a twinge of jealousy course through her. She was simply satisfied that Bella had come to her senses.

"I'm glad."

Bella turned to her, more than a little surprised by Rosalie's reaction. She knew very well that the blond never liked her when she had been with Edward. Rosalie averted her eyes and looked over at Daniel, watching him as he played with his ball in the grass.

Bella cleared her throat.

"So, what are you guys doing here?"

"Rosie and I were in the area and we saw you and your kid," Emmett replied. "We thought we'd say hi."

Bella shook her head.

"No, I mean, back in Forks."

Emmett looked to Rosalie who answered.

"Carlisle called us asking for help. He told us about you and Edward as well as what's been going on here with Victoria. We came back when we heard about your son being involved in all of this."

She paused and looked over at Daniel as he walked towards them with his arms wrapped around the ball. A rueful smile broke on Rosalie's face. She couldn't help it. Despite Daniel practically being the spitting image of his father, she was a sucker when it came to babies.

"He's innocent and helpless on his own. We wont let Edward near him and if Victoria makes your son a target, we'll destroy her before she would even lay a hand on him."

Bella was speechless. Never would she have ever guessed to hear those words come from Rosalie's lips. For a brief moment, Bella could imagine Rosalie as the loving mother that no one dared to challenge. If circumstances had been different for her, Bella was certain that Rosalie would have been a wonderful mother.

"I appreciate that. Thank you."

She smiled just as Daniel pulled on her pant leg, the ball at his feet long forgotten. Bella picked him up, all the while Rosalie's eyes twinkled as she watched the little boy smile before he timidly hid his face against Bella's neck. Bella put her hand on Daniel's back.

"Daniel, can you say hi?"

The little boy turned his head slightly, and waved his hand from under his chin as he smiled bashfully before he suddenly began to cough.

Bella pursed her lips and patted him on the back as the coughing fit continued. All the while, she explained to the two vampires that the little boy had been up in the night coughing.

"Bring him over to see Carlisle at our house," Emmett suddenly suggested before Rosalie glared daggers at him. To have Bella come over to their house was one thing, but to have the son of one of the wolves was an entirely different matter. Still, Emmett continued, ignoring the gaze that Rosalie was giving him.

"He's home right now and he could take a look at the little guy and make sure all is good."

Bella considered that option and smiled before she agreed.

It wasn't until Rosalie and Emmett were driving ahead of Bella's truck that Rosalie voiced her concerns.

"You know, the Quileute's will find out about this. They wont like it."

Emmett shrugged. "We're not doing anything wrong. We're helping her out and looking after her, just like we agreed to."

"You never ran this past Carlisle before offering to Bella that he'd be willing to take a look at Daniel."

"You know Carlisle. You've seen the way he talked about Daniel. He loves the kid. He wont turn them away."

Emmett was right.

Not only was Carlisle surprised to see Bella and Daniel walk into his house with Rosalie and Emmett, he was happy to see them. He wasn't the only one. Esme apologized for not having anything to eat for either Bella or Daniel, but offered them water to drink. She smiled at the little boy and sat beside Carlisle as he examined Daniel while the little boy sat on Bella's lap.

Daniel watched the people around him, a smile coming to his face when his eyes locked on Emmett. Wondering what he suddenly found so funny, Bella looked over at the large vampire to see him playing peek-a-boo from behind where Rosalie sat, reading a magazine.

Rosalie looked up, a smile on her face to see the little boy chuckle at Emmett's antics behind her.

"His lungs are clear," Carlisle said, running his hand over Daniel's small back. "It's probably just a lingering cough that will eventually go away on it's own. It just needs time."

Bella sighed, relieved to get that assurance.

"Thank you so much. And sorry for just dropping by like this, unannounced."

Carlisle smiled. "No apologies necessary. In fact, it's probably I who should be apologizing to you."

Sensing his tone, Esme put her hand on Carlisle's. He squeezed it.

"First and foremost, for Alice and Edward's behaviour towards you and your son. For all their lies and deception...if I had known sooner-"

"Wait, deception?"

Carlisle sighed.

"Bella, when you left Forks two years ago, Alice knew you had a relationship with Jacob. She believed...and still believes that you and Edward should be together...that you two can be in love again. Alice tricked you, in order to convince you to leave with her and Edward."

Bella shook her head, remembering the letters that Alice had left on her behalf. She let her hand run absently over Daniel's dark hair as he sat on her lap.

"But..." Bella breathed, her mind racing, trying to make sense of it all. "Laurent came and said that Victoria was coming back to kill me."

"While that may be true now, at the time Laurent had been staying with some friends of ours in Alaska. He was trying to adapt to our type of lifestyle."

Bella snorted. "He wasn't succeeding. He tried to kill me."

Carlisle nodded, having been aware of that event. "But I don't believe he had any knowledge of Victoria's whereabouts."

"Are you sure about that, Carlisle?" Rosalie asked, sitting down on the chair across from them. "I had spoken with Irina shortly after he disappeared, and she had told me about a woman who would contact him every so often. Laurent assured her that it was nothing and so Irina dismissed it, until he didn't return to Alaska."

Carlisle thought for a moment.

"So, there was some truth to it all. But it still doesn't excuse Alice and Edward's behaviour." He turned back to Bella.

"The moment they knew that you were pregnant with Daniel, they should have sent you home rather than continue their charade. When Daniel had been born, I knew something was off between you and Edward. He had always depicted your relationship as loving and I accepted it as that. I never questioned it. I'm sorry."

Bella reached out and put her hand over Carlisle's.

"It's not your fault."

"Perhaps not directly, but I was aware of how obsessive Edward could be; we all knew it. I needed to get you and Daniel away from him. That's why I had to lie to you about Victoria being dead in order for you to return back to Forks. I feared you wouldn't if you knew she was still alive."

Bella sighed. "So, you guys haven't been searching for Victoria all that time?"

She looked up at Emmett and Rosalie and met their sympathetic expressions. Rosalie shook her head.

"We were in Europe."

"And Esme and I were travelling around the world for a season," Carlisle added softly. "I'm sorry that I had to lie to you. You don't know how relieved I was to know that you had arrived safely, especially knowing that Victoria seemed to be waiting for you to return."

Bella took a deep breath and looked down at Daniel resting against her.

"None of this was your fault," she said. "Edward had been acting strangely quite a bit when we were in Nova Scotia. He would avoid me when I was pregnant and then spent as much time as I'd allow him with Daniel after he was born. I made a mistake in trusting him. I shouldn't have."

"You don't have to worry about Edward anymore," Emmett stated, with a smirk.

Bella looked from the large vampire to Carlisle who explained how he was not allowing him on Cullen land until he chose to leave her and Daniel alone.

"And what about Alice? Where's Jasper in all this?"

Carlisle sighed. "I'm assuming we'll see her sometime. As for Jasper, he's loyal to her. We can assume that where she is, he isn't too far behind."

He paused and smiled. "But don't you worry. You're safe while you're in Forks and in La Push."

"I'm guessing you know about the wolves," Bella assumed.

Carlisle nodded with a smirk. "Of course. We know enough not to venture onto Quileute land. That's how I also knew you'd be safe when I sent you home. While you're in La Push, you and Daniel would be protected."

While he spoke, Emmett had caught Daniel's eye. Emmett smiled at him and then covered his face with his hands before then slowly hid behind the chair that Rosalie sat in. Boldly, Daniel slid off of Bella's lap and slowly walked over to Rosalie's chair.

"I think he's coming to find you," Rosalie warned, a smile on her face as she watched Daniel toddle over towards her.

Emmett didn't respond, but waited until Daniel came around the chair, holding the side for balance. Startled, he squealed when he saw Emmett and quickly turned to run back to Bella, but tripped on his feet. Before he fell to the ground, Rosalie had leaned forward and caught him, placing him gently on ground. Without skipping a beat, Daniel crawled across the floor to Bella's feet.

The moment he reached her, Daniel glanced back at Emmett to find him following after on his hands and knees. Daniel giggled as he climbed up onto the couch beside Bella.

"I'm glad to see that your son inherited your clumsiness," Emmett teased, pushing himself up to stand.

Bella looked over at Daniel, watching as he smiled broadly at Emmett.

"At least he got something from me. When I look at him, all I see is Jacob."

As they were suddenly reminded of whose son Daniel was, Carlisle apologized and explained that they needed to head out to hunt. While it wasn't entirely false, he wasn't wanting to face any repercussions of having Bella and Daniel in their house any longer than necessary.

The Cullen's were well aware that Bella hadn't been informed about the true identity of the wolves that protected La Push. While Carlisle was surprised that Jacob hadn't told her, he agreed to keep that information to himself, leaving it up to the wolf's discretion as to when or even if they'd tell her.

Still, if she had known about them, it would've been so much easier to explain why he was suddenly pushing her out their door. Carlisle only hoped that it didn't come across as being rude.

Bella had smiled, stating that Daniel needed to get home to nap anyways. Before she did leave, Esme leaned forward and hugged Bella while Emmett ruffled Daniel's hair before he balled his fist. Smirking, Daniel reached out with his own fist and bumped it into Emmett's.

Bella thanked them before she climbed into the truck with Daniel and headed back home.

Somewhere along the way, the little boy had fallen asleep, his head leaning to the side in his car seat as he slept. After pulling into the driveway, Bella gently carried Daniel into the house. With one hand she pulled off the boy's shoes and dropped them on the floor before she stepped out of her own two shoes.

Carefully, she made her way up the steps and placed Daniel in his crib. With a sigh, Bella sat back on her bed beside the crib and stared at Daniel as he settled to sleep. She had so much to think about on her way home from the Cullen's; the truth about what Edward and Alice had done. An anger had filled her. They had purposely kept her and Daniel away from Jacob when they fully knew how much she loved him and wanted to be with him.

Tears came to Bella's eyes as she tightened her fist. Clenching her jaw she laid down on her bed and watched Daniel, angry for the two years that Edward and Alice had taken from her; for those first few months of Daniel's life that Jacob missed out on. If she ever saw Edward Cullen again, it would be too soon.

Pulling her cell phone from her pocket, she turned it on vibrate and closed her eyes, willing the anger to melt away as she fell asleep.

* * *

Three hours had passed before Bella was awoken by the sound of someone pounding on the front door. She sat up and ran her hand through her hair, before she looked over at Daniel. Quietly, the little boy sat dazed in his crib, his hair sitting haphazardly on his head as he rubbed his eyes. With a sigh, he grabbed the soother that had been found in his bed and shoved it in his mouth.

"Who could be at the door?" She spoke aloud, standing up from the bed and reaching into Daniel's crib to pick him up. Glancing at her cell phone that she had abandoned on the bed she saw the long list of texts and unanswered calls all from one person; Jacob Black.

Afraid that the door was about to broken down, Bella quickly made her way down the stairs with Daniel in her arms. She rounded the corner and could make out Jacob's profile behind the curtain. With a sigh, she unlocked the door and swung it open.

"Why haven't you been answering your phone? I've been..."

He paused, as the intense scent of vampires hit him in the face like a brick wall. Jacob couldn't help but stagger back slightly at the aroma. The wolf within took a deep breath, quickly considering where the threat was coming from. It wasn't coming from inside the house; it was coming from Bella and Daniel themselves.

"I'm sorry," she said with a smile. "Daniel was exhausted when we came home so he had a nap and I fell asleep with him. I put my phone on vibrate so no one would wake him."

"Bella, where did you go today?"

"The park. Daniel had a great time. He-"

His eyes narrowed.

"Where else did you go?"

Bella scoffed at his rude interruption. "I was just going to tell you that I went to the Cullen's house."

"The Cullen's...". Jacob took a deep breath. "Bella, you can't go there...and you never called to tell me..."

After everything she had learned today about what Edward and Alice had done, she was in no mood to deal with this.

"I'm sorry, Jake. I wasn't aware I had to tell you everywhere we go."

The sarcasm was thick and Jacob could taste it. He could also feel the anger rise within him. He shook his head and let out a breath.

"Of course you don't. But it's important that you don't go to see the Cullen's again."

"Why not? You told me that you went the other day. Besides, they're friends of mine."

Jacob clenched his jaw, the scent becoming too powerful for the inner wolf to ignore. Sensing it on Bella was hard enough to bear, but knowing it also covered his son caused Jacob to fist his hands at his side in an attempt to keep control of the wolf.

He took a deep breath, forcing that anger down.

"You know what they are."

"And I know that they wont hurt me. Daniel and I, we're fine. In fact, Dr. Cullen said that Daniel's cough is nothing to worry about."

Jacob paused.

"You went to see him about Daniel?"

Bella nodded, looking at her son in her arms as he watched Jacob carefully.

"He listened to his lungs. They're clear. He says the cough will resolve itself on its own."

"Really? What else did he say?"

"Nothing more about that. He did tell me about Edward and his motives behind taking me out of Forks two years ago. Things like that."

Jacob nodded silently, his anger slowly dissipating despite the strong stench coming from Daniel and Bella.

"I'm sorry," he said, between clenched teeth. "I was worried when I tried to call and there was no answer and then to find out that you went to the Cullen's house...I guess I thought the worst."

Bella smirked. "You know, I can take care of myself, Jake."

At that moment, Daniel pulled his soother out of his mouth and smiled at Jacob before reaching out towards him. Despite the putrid smell, Jacob took him into his arms.

"Da-yee! Bo?!"

Jacob paused, the words his son spoke taking him a moment to process in his mind. The stench coming from Daniel suddenly didn't seem so important.

"Did he just say-"

Bella was already nodding, a broad smile on her face. "Daddy? He did."

Holding his breath for a moment, Jacob leaned in and kissed Daniel on the cheek. "You want to go sit in grandpa's boat with your Daddy?"

Daniel nodded, pointing towards the small outboard sitting on the trailer in the driveway. Jacob placed Daniel into the boat and before he was able to climb in, Daniel was already sitting in the driver's seat beside the motor and was pretending to drive.

"Wave bye to Mommy!"

With a big smile, Daniel waved, his head barely visible over the edge of the boat.

"Here we go over some big waves," Jacob announced just before he shook the chair which Daniel sat upon. The little boy giggled as he held onto the seat.

Bella chuckled at her son, but found her eyes watching Jacob as he interacted with the little boy. A few seconds passed before Jacob could sense her eyes on him. When he looked up, he caught her staring, an expression on her face that he hadn't seen in years.

Two more days until the weekend, he thought happily knowing that he'll finally be able to spend an afternoon alone with Bella.

* * *

"You were right," Edward groaned into the reciever as he leaned against the payphone. Night had arrived in Port Angeles and he had found a payphone near the wharf. "Carlisle called Rosalie and Emmett and they've kicked me out of Cullen territory."

' _I told you he would_ ,' Alice stated. ' _You should have listened to me before running in there.'_

Edward rubbed his forehead in frustration and sighed.

"Have you seen Bella's future yet?"

 _'Unfortunately not. I'm guessing she's been spending more time with the Quileute's lately.'_

"More specifically, one particular Quileute that I'd be happy to eliminate if I had the chance."

' _You will, in time_.'

"Alice, I can't do this anymore. I can't wait for one day where there is a possibility of being with Bella again. What if that day never comes? What if, what if she never does love me again?"

' _She will, Edward. I've seen it before. I'll see it again. In the meantime, I want you to come Jazz and I in Seattle. You can't stay in Forks on your own.'_

 _"_ I can't. At least not yet. Bella and Daniel aren't safe here since Victoria has been around. I don't trust Carlisle, Emmet, Rosalie and Esme to be able to be able to protect her and I certainly don't think those mutts have any talent other than licking themselves."

 _'Victoria is up to something. I just don't know what yet.'_

 _"_ I'll call you again in a few days."

 _'Okay Edward. Be safe.'_

He hung up the phone and looked out over the dark coastline. With both his family and the wolves on the lookout for him, Edward knew if he was going to stay close to Forks, he'll have to be careful.


End file.
